WALES

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Peter Hain: The average hourly rates paid for agency staff each year is as follows:
	
		
			  £ 
			   Agency 
			   Adecco  Acorn  Kelly 
			 1999 9.30 n/a n/a 
			 2000 9.80 n/a n/a 
			 2001 9.80 n/a n/a 
			 2002 10.29 8.81 n/a 
			 2003 10.80 8.81 n/a 
			 2004 12.07 10.35 11.28 
			 2005 n/a 9.73 11.28

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales 
	(1)  what child care  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to his Department's staff;
	(2)  which of his Department's premises have child care facilities on site;
	(3)  whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which his Department provides for its employees.

Peter Hain: The Wales Office is a small organisation, with 54 staff based in Cardiff and London. It draws its staff from other bodies, namely the National Assembly for Wales and Department for Constitutional Affairs. While it is not practical for the Wales Office to provide its own on-site creche or nursery places, staff can access subsidised child care places or child care vouchers through their employing bodies.
	These schemes support parents' own choices about what child care they want for their child.

Olympic Games

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his Department has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on maximising benefits to Wales from the 2012 Olympics.

Peter Hain: My hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State and I regularly discuss these matters with Welsh Assembly Government Ministers.
	At official level, my Department is represented on the Assembly Government's Olympic Steering Group.
	Wales has an important contribution to make to the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We intend to maximise the sustainable economic and commercial benefits to Wales, including those arising from the anticipated increase in tourism. Wales has many excellent training facilities and will offer a warm welcome to visiting teams and supporters.
	The games will also produce a significant sporting legacy for Wales with associated health-related benefits.

PRIME MINISTER

Art

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister what the 10 most valuable pieces of art are in 10 Downing street.

Tony Blair: The majority of pictures, photographs and sculptures in 10 Downing street are on loan from the Government Art Collection and other institutions. The current monetary value of each work of art in No. 10 could accurately be assessed only by professional valuation, which would usually take place at the time of purchase or sale by the owner.

China

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  what  (a) matters were discussed and  (b) agreements were made in his meeting with his Chinese counterpart on 13 September;
	(2)  what discussions he had with the Chinese delegation on their visit to the UK on 12 to 13 September concerning the welfare of Gao Zhisheng, his family and his friends; what assurances were given by the Chinese about their welfare; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: I discussed a wide range of issues with Premier Wen Jiabao during his recent visit. I also refer the hon. Member to the press conference I held with Premier Wen Jiabao on 13 September. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.
	There were no discussions on Gao Zhisheng. However, during the visit the Government handed a list of individual cases of concern to the Chinese delegation, including that of Gao Zhisheng. The Government will continue to monitor the case closely.

Copyright

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Prime Minister whether he has had discussions with ministerial colleagues about extending the number of years performing artists get copyright protection beyond the current 50 year limit.

Tony Blair: I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter of 22 June from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Sir Michael Spicer) on World Cup tickets.

Tony Blair: My Office wrote to the hon. Member on 27 June informing him that his letter had been passed to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport for reply.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Prime Minister when he will reply to the letter of 16 June from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire (Sir Michael Spicer) about nuclear power stations.

Tony Blair: My Office wrote to the hon. Member on 22 June informing him that his letter had been passed to the Department of Trade and Industry for reply.

Departmental Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list for 2001-02 and each subsequent financial year the amount spent by his Office in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation abroad for himself.

Tony Blair: Since 1999 the Government have published an annual list of all visits overseas undertaken by Cabinet Ministers costing £500 or more during each financial year. Copies of these lists are available in the Library of the House. Information on the number of officials accompanying Ministers on overseas visits is included in the list.
	All Ministers' travel arrangements are in accordance with the arrangements for official travel set out in chapter 10 of the ministerial code, and the accompanying guidance document, "Travel by Ministers".

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the publications his Office has issued since 1 July 2005, giving the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title of each publication.

Tony Blair: None.

Dorneywood

Michael Gove: To ask the Prime Minister whether he plans to offer the use of Dorneywood to  (a) a new Minister,  (b) the Lord Mayor of London and  (c) the US Ambassador under the terms of the Dorneywood Trust Deed.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the press briefing given by my official spokesman on 20 September. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Engagements

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has visited each region of the UK in the last 12 months.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 2 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1385-87W.
	Information on visits made in the UK during 2006-07 will be published by means of an annual list as soon as it is ready at the end of the financial year.

Engagements

Alex Salmond: To ask the Prime Minister when he last met the Scottish First Minister; and what subjects were discussed.

Tony Blair: I have meetings with the Scottish First Minister on a regular basis to discuss matters of mutual interest.

Gifts

Tim Loughton: To ask the Prime Minister what gifts he has given to overseas dignitaries at public cost since becoming Prime Minister; and what the price of each was.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland (Mr. Carmichael) on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 865W.

Gifts

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Prime Minister pursuant to his answer of 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 865W, on gifts, why it would not be appropriate to disclose this information; and whether the gift was paid for with public money.

Tony Blair: I have nothing further to add to the answer I gave the hon. Member on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 865W.

Honours

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister how many honours have been awarded to individuals who have funded teaching establishments and programmes since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: Details of all honours are published in the  London Gazette, copies of which are available in the Libraries of both Houses.

Iraq

Dai Davies: To ask the Prime Minister what matters were discussed with his Iraqi counterpart at the meeting on 24 July; and if he will make a statement on relations with Iraq.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the press conference I held with Prime Minister Maliki on 24 July 2006. A transcript of this is available on the No. 10 website and a copy has been placed in the Library of the House.

Ministerial Code

Andrew Turner: To ask the Prime Minister how many complaints he has received in the last 12 months that the behaviour of a Minister has breached the ministerial code.

Tony Blair: Section 1 of the ministerial code sets out the process for handling alleged breaches of the ministerial code.

Ministerial Offices

Sarah Teather: To ask the Prime Minister how many times his ministerial office has been decorated in each of the last five years.

Tony Blair: Refurbishment and maintenance at 10 Downing street is part of a continuing programme of work. The Downing street complex is maintained to standards appropriate to its Grade 1/2 listed status in consultation with English Heritage.
	The building also fulfils an important representational role.

Muslim Groups

Bob Spink: To ask the Prime Minister if he will list the Muslim groups with which he has had contact in the last five years.

Tony Blair: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave my right hon. Friend the Member for Leicester, East (Keith Vaz) on 7 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1254W.

Peerage

John Hayes: To ask the Prime Minister if he will place in the Library a copy of the nomination forms for peers ennobled since 1997 who take the Labour Whip.

Tony Blair: Copies of all nomination forms are confidential.

Stem Cell Research

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what discussions he has had with President Bush about his veto of the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Tony Blair: It is not the practice of the Government to make public details of all discussions with foreign Governments.

MINISTER FOR WOMEN

Sexual Orientation Discrimination

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality when the Government plan to publish their response to their consultation on proposals to outlaw sexual orientation discrimination in the provision of goods and services.

Meg Munn: holding answer 11 September 2006
	The Government plan to publish the formal response to our consultation on proposals to outlaw sexual orientation discrimination in the provision of goods and services as soon as possible after the House returns from summer recess.

Transgendered People

Lorely Burt: To ask the Minister for Women and Equality if she will take steps to extend the goods and services regulations to include transgendered people.

Meg Munn: The Government have made a commitment to prohibit discrimination on grounds of gender reassignment in the provision of goods and services by December 2007, in order to meet the transposition deadline for European Directive 2004/113/EC. We will implement the Directive through regulations under the European Communities Act 1972. The necessary work is under way and we will consult on our proposals around the turn of the year.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Attendance Allowance

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many doctors working on attendance allowance cases in Wales speak English and Welsh.

Anne McGuire: All Medical Services doctors speak English. There are four doctors who currently carry out disability living allowance and attendance allowance assessments in Wales who have advised Medical Services that they speak Welsh.

Benefit Claimants

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much is being spent in 2006-07 on the provision of professional counselling support to reduce the number of jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefit claimants.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how much is being spent in 2006-07 on the provision of professional counselling support to reduce the number of jobseeker's allowance and incapacity benefit claimants. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	The information you requested is not available because Information on the costs of providing professional counselling support is not recorded separately. Budgets are prepared for each type of employment programme, some of which contain an element of professional counselling but expenditure cannot be extracted in a meaningful way.

Benefits

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what his most recent estimate is of the take-up rate for  (a) incapacity benefit, (b) disability living allowance,  (c) attendance allowance,  (d) bereavement benefits,  (e) carer's allowance,  (f) maternity allowance and  (g) severe disablement allowance;
	(2)  what recent estimates he has made of the take-up rate of  (a) industrial injuries disablement benefit,  (b) reduced earnings allowance and  (c) retirement allowance.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available.

Benefits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 30 January 2006,  Official Report, column 252W, on benefits, if he will provide the figures collected by his Department since January.

Anne McGuire: As at February 2006, there were 48,960 incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants whose primary diagnosis was alcoholism, and 48,530 incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claimants whose primary diagnosis was drug abuse.
	For the first six months of 2006 (January to June), 44.54 per cent. of incapacity benefit and severe disablement allowance claims received were refused. Claims refused are all those claims where no monetary amount of incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance was awarded. Many of these claims will be national insurance contribution-only cases; other benefits may be awarded.

Benefits

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the information provided to cancer patients regarding financial and other benefit entitlement when they are diagnosed.

Anne McGuire: The Department goes to considerable lengths to publicise benefit information through a variety of channels and is always open to new ideas for improving the delivery of benefit information to all its potential customers.
	Entitlement to disability living allowance or attendance allowance is not based on a particular diagnosis, but on the basis of an individual's care or mobility needs arising out of an illness or disability.
	The Disability and Carers Service has, therefore, been working closely with the Department of Health and representatives of Macmillan Cancer Support to identify ways of signposting benefit advice at an early stage to people with any long term health conditions (including people diagnosed with cancer). The Department of Health is developing an "Information Prescription" which will not only give details of where people can go to find out more about their condition, treatment and services but will also inform patients with long-term conditions where to go for advice and information about the benefits they may be entitled to.

Benefits

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many tenants living in  (a) social housing and  (b) the private rented sector (PRS) in (i) Edmonton, (ii) Enfield borough and (iii) Greater London are in receipt of housing benefit; how many in the PRS are in receipt of (A) single room rent and (B) local reference rent in each case; what the average shortfall of each is compared with actual average rent paid in each case; and if he will make a statement.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested. A breakdown of housing benefit claimants by tenure type is not available below regional level. Information on average shortfalls due to rent restrictions is not available.
	The most recent available information for case loads in the London GOR by tenure type, average benefit amounts, and details of those subject to single room rent (SRR) or local reference rent (LRR) are in the tables.
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) recipients by tenure type and average weekly amount of HB: London GOR, May 2004 
			  Tenure  Case load  Average weekly amount (£) 
			 All HB recipients 641,000 91.76 
			 Social tenants 525,000 83.74 
			 of which are local authority tenants 324,000 79.35 
			 of which are RSL tenants 201,000 90.81 
			 Private tenants 116,000 128.05 
		
	
	
		
			  Housing benefit (HB) private tenants( 1)  whose weekly amount of HB is less than their weekly eligible rent by whether they are subject to the Local Reference Rent (LRR) Scheme or the Single Room Rent (SRR) Scheme: London GOR, May 2004 
			   HB private tenants  Of which, have weekly amount HB less than their weekly eligible rent( 2) 
			 All 116,000 26,000 
			 SRR — — 
			 LRR 91,000 20,000 
			 Neither 25,000 6,000 
			 (1) Private tenants exclude Registered Social Landlords (RSL).  (2) Weekly eligible rent is after any non-dependant deductions.   Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest thousand and amounts to the nearest penny.  2. Figures are based on a 1 per cent. sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.  3. HB figures exclude any Extended Payment cases.  4. The data refer to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple.  5 "—" denotes nil/negligible.  6. HB may be less than eligible rent due to reasons other than rent restrictions.

Benefits

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what guidance has been given to the Rent Service on controlling expenditure of housing benefit.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions does not provide guidance to the Rent Service on controlling expenditure of housing benefit. The Rent Service independently considers appropriate evidence and decides the appropriate eligible rent.

Benefits

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate has been made of the  (a) financial effects and  (b) the effect on the numbers claiming of giving those on incapacity benefit access to physiotherapy.

Anne McGuire: The information requested is not available.

Benefits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his answer of 20 March 2006,  Official Report, column 130-31W, to the hon. Member for Walthamstow (Mr. Gerrard), on incapacity benefit, if he will provide the figures collected by his Department since March.

Anne McGuire: The information is not available in the format requested. The most recent available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Proportion of new incapacity benefit claimants ending their claim within six months 
			  Percentage 
			  Quarter  Pathways to Work pilot areas  Other areas 
			  Aged under 50   
			 April 2005 to June 2005 43 35 
			 July 2005 to September 2005 42 34 
			
			  Aged 50 and over   
			 April 2005 to June 2005 33 29 
			 July 2005 to September 2005 32 28 
			  Notes:  1. Current benefits data do not allow six month off-flow analysis after September 2005  2. Figures do not include a proportion of short-term incapacity benefit claims, which flow on and off between scan dates; the off-flows presented will be lower than actual rates, but trends over time will be consistent.   Source:  DWP—National Benefits Database.

Benefits

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming incapacity benefit, broken down by quinquennial age bands.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the table.
	
		
			 Incapacity Benefit and Severe Disablement Allowance claimants by age group as at February 2006 
			   Number 
			 All ages 2,747,490 
			 Age not recorded 70 
			 16-19 40,370 
			 20-24 128,580 
			 25-29 151,820 
			 30-34 200,540 
			 35-39 269,660 
			 40-44 322,030 
			 45-49 346,700 
			 50-54 393,000 
			 55-59 540,840 
			 60-64 324,710 
			 65 and over 29,190 
			  Notes:  1. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Figures include all Incapacity Benefit, Severe Disablement Allowance and Incapacity Benefit credits-only cases.   Source:  DWP Information Directorate, WPLS, 100 per cent. data.

Benefits

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of  (a) the percentage of those entitled to claim (i) housing benefit, (ii) income support and (iii) council tax benefit, (iv) pension credit who did not do so and  (b) the amount that went unclaimed in each case in each of the last five years; and what estimate he has made of the amount and percentage that went unclaimed in respect of income-related benefits in (1) 1997-98 and (2) the latest year for which information is available.

James Plaskitt: I refer the hon. Member to the written answer I gave my right hon. Friend the member for North Tyneside (Mr. Byers) on 3 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1034W.

Child Support Agency

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what percentage of cases concerning a change in circumstances submitted to the Child Support Agency took longer than  (a) seven months,  (b) 10 months and  (c) 18 months to process in the last five years.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.

Child Support Agency

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions in how many cases payments were made by the Child Support Agency to a parent claiming support when the child was not habitually resident with them in East Dunbartonshire in each year since 2000.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the percentage of non-resident parents registered with the Child Support Agency who have a passport.

James Plaskitt: The information requested is not available.

Child Support Agency

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many telephone calls to the Child Support Agency  (a) were received,  (b) received an engaged tone and  (c) were disconnected during the interactive response process for the period April 2002 to June 2006 for (i) all calls and (ii) calls relating to then cases being processed on the CS2 computer system.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the chief executive. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Hilary Reynolds:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many telephone calls to the Child Support Agency  (a) were received  (b) received an engaged tone and  (c) were disconnected during the interactive response process for the period April 2002 to June 2006 for (i) all calls and (ii) calls relating to the cases being processed on the CS2 computer system.
	The latest information is contained in the two following tables. Note that the CS2 computer system did not become operational until March 2003. Therefore it is not possible to provide data for the year 2002-03.
	Note also that point  (c) has been interpreted as referring to the total number of calls abandoned (for example, where the client does not have a National Insurance number to hand and hangs up to go and find it before calling back) or lost during the automated part of the process, as the Agency cannot disconnect a call once it is in the IVR system.
	Further information on the Agency's telephony performance is available in Table 16 of the latest edition of the Agency's Quarterly Summary of Statistics. A copy of this document is available in the House Library, as well as on the internet, at http://www.dwp.gov.uk/asd/csa.asp.
	The Agency has shown a significant and sustained improvement in telephony performance, with respect to waiting times and the percentage of calls answered. Specifically:
	In the quarter ending June 2006, the Agency answered 97% of telephone calls available to be answered, compared to 91% in the year ending March 2006.
	In the quarter ending June 2006, average waiting time for all calls was 24 seconds, down from 59 seconds in the year ending March 2006.
	I hope you find this helpful.
	
		
			  Telephony outcomes for calls relating to cases on both CS2 and CSCS, 2002-03 to 2005-06 
			   April 2002 to March 2003  April 2003 to March 2004  April 2004 to March 2005  April 2005 to March 2006  April 2006 to June 2006 
			 Attempted customer calls to both CS2 and CSCS numbers 4,145,000 6,051,000 5,738,000 5,352,000 1,246,000 
			 Calls for which outcome not recorded 45,000 145,000 48,000 42,000 2,000 
			 Calls for which outcome recorded 4,100,000 5,906,000 5,689,000 5,310,000 1,244,000 
			  Of which:  
			 Calls that received an engaged/busy tone (1)— 498,000 126,000 50,000 30,000 
			 Calls abandoned/lost during the IVR process. n/a 362,000 320,000 308,000 84,000 
			 (1) It is not possible to break down ineffective calls into those that did or did not receive an engaged tone for old system calls in 2002-03.  Notes:  1. Data are presented for calls made regarding cases on the new system (CS2) and the old system (CSCS) combined.  2. "Attempted customer calls" excludes calls attempted outside working hours.  3. "Calls for which outcome not recorded" are those that were received but for which, due to data problems, the eventual outcome was not recorded. The volume of such calls has decreased significantly in the last three years as management information systems have improved.  4. "Calls for which outcome recorded" are those which were received and for which there is management information to track the eventual outcome.  5. IVR denotes the automated touch tone part of the process where customers enter their details via the telephone key pad. Once callers have cleared this part of the process, they enter a queue to be answered by a member of CSA staff. Note that there is no IVR process on the old system.  6. Numbers are rounded to the nearest thousand. Components may not sum to totals due to rounding.

Child Support Agency

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the estimated cost is of the proposed changes to the Child Support Agency.

James Plaskitt: Enabling and helping parents to make their own child support arrangements will help to create a simpler, more focused child support system. We are currently developing plans for introducing a new system of child support. As part of this we are considering the most cost effective way of moving to, and administering, the new system.
	We are carrying out an intensive programme of work to determine the way forward and plan to publish final, detailed proposals in a White Paper in the autumn.

Cold Weather Payments

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what account he takes of the number of homes in Scotland which are heated by coal fires when determining cold weather payments.

James Plaskitt: Eligible customers for cold weather payments are those people awarded pension credit and those awarded income support or income-based jobseeker's allowance who have a pensioner or disability premium, or have a child who is disabled or under the age of five when the temperature criteria are met for their postcode.
	No account is taken of the form of heating used.

Departmental Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Jim Murphy: The Department's policy is first to source any requirements for temporary administrative staff from the local Jobcentre Plus office. If this is unsuccessful we acquire agency staff through a framework agreement led by the Prison Service. Under these arrangements the average hourly rate by agency in 2005-06 was:
	
		
			   £ 
			 Reed (1)13.56 
			 Hays 10.44 
			 (1) Mainly London based staff 
		
	
	Information on earlier years is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Contracts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what contracts were awarded by his Department to Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 1997; what the  (a) value and  (b) duration of each such contract was; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Murphy: The information requested is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Department for Work and Pensions: Contracts with Bird and Bird Solicitors 
			  Description  Start date  End date  Value (£) 
			 Medical Services (Impact '97—Property issues) 10 October 1997 25 September 2003 69,467.92 
			 Extension of medical services contract to cover DTI 16 January 1998 10 July 1998 22,307.69 
			 Estates contractual issues 13 February 1998 9 February 2000 76,821.27 
			 Accommodation and Office Services Procurement Advice 12 November 1998 17 November 1999 31,402.55 
			 War Pensions Agency: Ilford Park Polish Home 18 February 1999 10 May 1999 4,819.27 
			 IT commercials (Accord) 29 April 1999 9 June 1999 9,905.74 
			 Contract Change Advice 27 September 2000 27 December 2000 2,115.00 
			 Medical Services (Impact '97) commercials 13 February 2001 15 February 2001 1,369.58 
			 IT commercials—Accord Contract Review 21 November 2002 10 March 2003 42,173.08 
			 Warbreck House, Blackpool 16 May 2002 6 January 2003 881.25 
			 Dinerth Road Colwyn Bay—Renewal 7 January 2003 6 May 2003 587.50 
			 Commercials—Disaggregation of Contracts 7 January 2003 2 April 2003 28,883.85 
			 Resource Planning 5 March 2003 27 June 2003 30,599.18 
			 Web Portal and Hosting Agreement 2 July 2003 20 October 2003 14,119.42 
			 Medical services provision project 20 November 2003 20 July 2006 888,370.44 
			 IT commercials—Office Infrastracture 18 December 2003 5 March 2004 9,320.75 
			 IT commercials—accommodating supplier's equipment 4 December 2003 2 February 2004 10,954.62 
			 Office Services Retender 22 March 2005 5 July 2006 43,475.00 
			 Medical Services Contract Management 18 March 2005 23 June 2006 78,509.99 
			 IT commercials—Operating System Upgrade 7 June 2005 — 2,741.12 
			 Office Services Retender 2 June 2005 — 470,388.77 
			 Logistic Service Integrator—commercials 23 November 2005 6 December 2005 2,255.35 
			 Total — — 1,841,469.34 
			  Note: DWP was created in 2001 and earlier figures relate to the ex-DSS.

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) offers employees an interest-free advance if they wish to purchase a bicycle. Cycle racks are provided at sites where we have parking. We also offer lockers and showers where possible and where the building allows.
	The Department has no current plans to implement the cycle to work tax incentive scheme. As the Department cannot reclaim VAT, the tax savings are more limited than they would be for other employers, and the scheme is therefore not as attractive to our employees. Based on the low take-up of our existing scheme, we do not believe that the tax incentive scheme would be widely used. We will, however, keep the position under review.

Departmental Telephone Lines

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much has been spent on hold music for telephone lines operated by his Department in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: The Department of Work and Pensions has a contract with BT to provide its telephony services. Hold music is provided as part of the standard package provided on all BT switch boards and as such does not incur a discrete identifiable charge to DWP.

Disability Living Allowance

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many households in Gateshead and Sunderland include a person with a learning disability who receives the care component of disability living allowance at the  (a) highest rate,  (b) middle rate and  (c) lowest rate.

Anne McGuire: The administration of disability living allowance is a matter for the chief executive of the Disability and Carers Service, Mr. Terry Moran. He will write to the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Vivien Hopkins:
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many households in Gateshead and Sunderland include a person with a learning disability who receives the care component of disability living allowance at the (a) highest rate, (b) middle rate and (c) lowest rate.
	The Minister for Disabled People, Anne McGuire MP, promised you a substantive reply from the Chief Executive of the Disability and Carers Service. In his absence, I am replying.
	The information available is in the following table:
	
		
			  Disability living allowance, cases in payment, with a care component and medical condition of learning difficulty, as at February 2006 
			Rate 
			  Local authority  All  Highest  Middle  Lowest 
			 Gateshead 680 190 340 150 
			 Sunderland 1,080 320 580 180 
			  Notes: 1 Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. Local authorities are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant ONS postcode directory. 3. Where the claimant is eligible for both care and mobility components, the disabling condition associated with the mobility component is shown here Where more than one disability is present only the main disabling condition is recorded. 4. The number of claimants does not equate to the number of households as there may be more than one person in a household with learning difficulties claiming DLA. 5. Figures exclude cases where the payment has been suspended, for example if they are in hospital. 6. Rate of care component refers to rate in payment  Source: DWP Information Directorate: Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study 100 per cent. data.

EU Accession Countries

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the effect on sectoral unemployment of workers from EU accession countries.

Jim Murphy: No assessment has been made of the effect on sectoral unemployment of recent migration from the new EU accession states.
	A DWP assessment of the impact of recent migration from the eight central and eastern European accession states (A8) on claimant unemployment found no discernible statistical evidence of a link between the recent rises in claimant unemployment and inflows of migrants from the A8.

Fibromyalgia

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people with fibromyalgia claim benefits because they are unable to work.

Anne McGuire: As at February 2006, there were 8,400 people claiming incapacity benefit or severe disablement allowance with a primary diagnosis of fibromyalgia.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what input  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton Review and its report, Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given today by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.

Housing Allowance

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what information he has given to the Scottish Executive on the implications of the introduction of the local housing allowance (LHA) in Scotland; and what provisions there are to ensure that registered social landlords receive rent for properties where LHA payments are made directly to tenants who may be involved in chaotic lifestyles and who could find themselves evicted and homeless if rent was not forwarded to a landlord.

James Plaskitt: I have had a number of discussions with the Scottish Executive's Minister for Communities about plans to extend local housing allowance to tenants across the private rented sector. In addition, copies of the published evaluation reports on the pathfinder authorities are routinely sent to the Scottish Executive.
	While we have no plans to extend the local housing allowance approach to the social sector, we are pressing ahead with plans to encourage more social tenants to take responsibility for managing their own rent payments. However, we recognise the need for adequate safeguards to protect the interests of both tenants and their landlords and we will explore this issue with stakeholders across the social housing sector, including the Scottish Executive, before finalising specific proposals.

Housing Allowance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism is to be used to ensure a consistency of approach in the setting of local housing allowance rates by all rent offices across the country.

James Plaskitt: The Rent Service in England has targets for quality and accuracy set by the Secretary of State. These are published in The Rent Service Business Plan and reported on in The Rent Service Annual Report. To achieve these targets, the Rent Service provides common guidance to all rent officers across England to ensure a consistent approach to the setting of the local housing allowance, including the regular review of the broad rental market areas.
	In Scotland and Wales, the same statutory framework applies to setting local housing allowances. The Rent Registration Service will work to apply this consistently in Scotland. In Wales, the Welsh Assembly Government will provide appropriate guidance and oversee monitoring arrangements to ensure consistency.

Housing Allowance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what mechanism is to be used to ensure transparency and accountability in the setting of local housing allowance rates.

James Plaskitt: The Rent Service ensures transparency in a number of ways, including consultation with stakeholders prior to the publication of The Rent Service Business Plan which includes key targets set by the Secretary of State covering quality and other aspects of service delivery performance. The Rent Service publishes details of performance against the Business Plan in the Annual Report and provides an annual review of the lettings market in the private rented sector in The Rent Service Valuation report.
	The agency has an Advisory Board, which provides advice to the Chief Executive, ensures accountability and comments on the strategic direction of the agency. The Advisory Board also advises Ministers of the agency's aims, objectives and performance. The Advisory Board is composed of stakeholder representatives including DWP, Department for Communities and Local Government, the Local Government Association and an external member that chairs the Rent Service Audit Committee.
	The work of the Rent Service is also subject to scrutiny by an internal audit and annual scrutiny by the National Audit Office.
	In Scotland, setting local housing allowances is the responsibility of the Rent Registration Service, which is part of the Scottish Executive. The Chief Rent Officer is responsible for ensuring that the mechanisms used by the Rent Registration Service are transparent and accountable.
	In Wales, similar mechanisms exist as in England to ensure transparency and accountability in the setting of local housing allowance rates as applied by the Welsh Assembly Government.

Housing Allowance

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what other forms of rent control have been considered alongside the introduction of local housing allowance.

James Plaskitt: The local housing allowance, which we plan to roll out from 2008, is at the core of housing benefit reform. We do not intend to implement other major changes to the calculation of a housing benefit claimant's eligible rent at this time.

Logic Integrated Medical Assessment

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the introduction of Logic Integrated Medical Assessment, with particular reference to its  (a) efficacy in describing (i) multiple conditions and (ii) intermittent conditions,  (b) development to cover a wider range of disabling conditions and  (c) use by GPs of the same protocols.

Anne McGuire: Logic Integrated Medical Assessment (LiMA) is a tool developed to support healthcare professionals carrying out personal capability assessments (PCA). It uses rules derived from evidence-based medical protocols to guide healthcare professionals into making logical decisions. But it remains the responsibility of the healthcare professional to ensure that all the appropriate data are input into the system, including information about multiple or intermittent conditions.
	The available evidence-based medicine protocols cover about 85 per cent. of all disabling conditions being assessed. As part of the ongoing work in relation to the review of the PCA we will be looking at what changes will be required to LiMA, including development of new protocols to cover conditions not yet represented on the system.
	The LiMA evidence-based medical protocols are freely available to GPs or others who wish to use them for continuous professional education.

Ministerial Meetings

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he last met the Scottish First Minister; and what subjects were discussed.

Anne McGuire: Ministers have regular dialogues with ministerial colleagues in the Scottish Executive, discussing a wide range of issues of mutual interest. It is not our practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Neurological Conditions

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the  (a) progression rates into work of people with neurological conditions who have taken part in Pathways to Work pilots and  (b) progression rates into work of people with neurological conditions generally were in the last three years.

Jim Murphy: Eleven per cent. of people with neurological conditions who have joined Pathways to Work between October 2003 and February 2006 have progressed into work.
	Information on the number of people with neurological conditions who have progressed into work in the last three years without participating in Pathways is not available.
	 Notes
	1. The statistics quoted in this response are taken from the Pathways to Work Evaluation Database.
	2. Data are to the end of February 2006.
	3. Data include information for the extension to existing customers.

New Deal

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) first-time participants and  (b) repeat participants were on each new deal programme in each quarter of the last three calendar years; and what the unit cost per participant was in each case.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 11 September 2006
	Information on the unit costs per first time and repeat participant on each new deal programme in each quarter of the last three calendar years is not available.
	The available information on the number of first time and repeat participants on each new deal programme, in each quarter of the last three calendar years, is in the tables.
	
		
			  New deal for young people 
			  Participants in each quarter 
			   Total  First-time  Repeat 
			 January to March 2003 104,110 65,690 38,420 
			 April to June 2003 104,440 65,010 39,430 
			 July to September 2003 104,590 65,000 39,590 
			 October to December 2003 96,230 59,410 36,820 
			 January to March 2004 101,220 63,760 37,460 
			 April to June 2004 97,770 61,600 36,170 
			 July to September 2004 92,900 58,500 34,400 
			 October to December 2004 84,550 53,080 31,470 
			 January to March 2005 90,860 58,200 32,660 
			 April to June 2005 92,010 58,640 33,370 
			 July to September 2005 93,220 59,350 33,870 
			 October to December 2005 89,040 55,880 33,160 
		
	
	
		
			  New deal 25 plus 
			  Participants in each quarter 
			   Total  First-time  Repeat 
			 January to March 2003 70,130 46,240 23,890 
			 April to June 2003 68,780 46,230 22,550 
			 July to September 2003 65,070 44,080 20,990 
			 October to December 2003 62,160 41,410 20,750 
			 January to March 2004 59,940 39,260 20,680 
			 April to June 2004 58,770 37,930 20,840 
			 July to September 2004 59,730 38,320 21,410 
			 October to December 2004 58,880 37,230 21,650 
			 January to March 2005 58,280 36,790 21,490 
			 April to June 2005 55,730 34,830 20,900 
			 July to September 2005 52,280 32,350 19,930 
			 October to December 2005 50,470 30,810 19,660 
		
	
	
		
			  New deal for lone parents 
			  Participants in each quarter 
			   Total  First-time  Repeat 
			 January to March 2003 89,160 64,550 24,610 
			 April to June 2003 90,360 63,860 26,500 
			 July to September 2003 95,890 66,650 29,240 
			 October to December 2003 94,390 64,750 29,640 
			 January to March 2004 100,170 66,750 33,420 
			 April to June 2004 94,160 61,730 32,430 
			 July to September 2004 89,720 57,400 32,320 
			 October to December 2004 83,850 52,410 31,440 
			 January to March 2005 83,830 50,350 33,480 
			 April to June 2005 78,720 46,360 32,360 
			 July to September 2005 76,480 43,970 32,510 
			 October to December 2005 71,370 40,810 30,560 
		
	
	
		
			  New deal 50 plus 
			  Participants in each quarter 
			   Total  First-time  Repeat 
			 January to March 2004 11,290 11,290 0 
			 April to June 2004 18,360 18,330 30 
			 July to September 2004 26,340 26,270 70 
			 October to December 2004 32,540 32,420 120 
			 January to March 2005 38,280 38,060 220 
			 April to June 2005 42,970 42,620 350 
			 July to September 2005 46,820 46,350 470 
			 October to December 2005 50,250 49,640 610 
		
	
	
		
			  New deal for disabled people 
			  Participants in each quarter 
			   Total  First-time  Repeat 
			 January to March 2003 39,570 37,510 2,060 
			 April to June 2003 45,040 42,630 2,410 
			 July to September 2003 51,780 48,880 2,900 
			 October to December 2003 55,890 52,630 3,260 
			 January to March 2004 62,810 58,930 3,880 
			 April to June 2004 72,110 67,110 5,000 
			 July to September 2004 82,780 76,660 6,120 
			 October to December 2004 89,830 82,720 7,110 
			 January to March 2005 98,450 90,220 8,230 
			 April to June 2005 106,970 97,640 9,330 
			 July to September 2005 116,120 105,700 10,420 
			 October to December 2005 123,490 112,110 11,380 
		
	
	
		
			  New deal for partners 
			  Participants in each quarter 
			   Total  First-time  Repeat 
			 April to June 2004 530 530 0 
			 July to September 2004 1,140 1,140 0 
			 October to December 2004 1,600 1,590 10 
			 January to March 2005 2,110 2,100 10 
			 April to June 2005 2,510 2,480 30 
			 July to September 2005 2,640 2,610 30 
			 October to December 2005 2,720 2,700 20 
			  Notes  1. Latest complete calendar year data are to December 2005.  2. People are included in the tables as participating in a particular quarter if they are recorded as participating at any point in that quarter. People participating on the programme in more than one quarter are included in the tables in each relevant quarter.  3. Earliest available data for new deal for partners is April 2004.  4. Earliest available data for new deal 50 plus is January 2004.   Source: DWP Information Directorate.

Office Closures

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which of the offices of his Department and its agencies  (a) have closed over the last three years and  (b) are planned for closure by 2008.

Anne McGuire: The Department continually evaluates the services it provides and the offices that are required to meet its changing structure in order to deliver a better and more efficient service to customers. As part of the rationalisation of accommodation over the last three years, there has been one DWP Head Office closure in London, two in the Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region and one in the north-east Government office region. One closure is planned in London, five in the Yorkshire and the Humber Government office region, two in the north- west Government office region and three in the north- east Government region. Details have been placed in the Library.
	Both Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service are transforming and modernising the services they offer, making them more readily available through the telephone and the internet. Details of Jobcentre Plus and the Pension Service office closures have also been placed in the Library.
	The Child Support Agency closed its Basingstoke Satellite Processing Centre in December 2005. The agency also intends to relinquish the Clitheroe and Blackburn Filestores on 1 October 2006.
	The Disability and Carers' Service closed the Sutton Disability Benefit Centre on 31 December 2005 and will also withdraw from the Disability Benefits Centre at Arden House, Newcastle, by 31 December 2006, with work from both offices being transferred to other existing Disability and Carers' Service units.

Pension Credit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people took up pension credit in East Dunbartonshire in  (a) 2004, (b) 2005 and  (c) 2006.

James Purnell: The number of households in receipt of pension credit in East Dumbartonshire at February in each of the years requested is in the following table.
	
		
			  Date  Household Recipients 
			 February 2004 2,000 
			 February 2005 2,320 
			 February 2006 2.470 
			  Notes:  1. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.  2. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the 2005 postcode directory and are therefore based on the 2005 parliamentary boundaries.  3. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.   Source:  DWP 100 per cent. Department for Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Pension Credit

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are claiming pension credit in East Dunbartonshire.

James Purnell: The most recent number of households receiving pension credit in the East Dunbartonshire constituency are in the following table.
	
		
			  Date  Household Recipients 
			 May 2006 2,460 
			  Notes:  1. These figures are early estimates. The preferred data source for figures supplied by DWP is the Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study (WPLS). However, the figures provided are the latest available figures which are taken from the GMS scan at 26th May 2006. These are adjusted using the historical relationship between WPLS and GMS data to give an estimate of the final WPLS figure.  2. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10.  3 Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant postcode directory.  4. Household recipients are those people who claim pension credit either for themselves only or on behalf of a household.   Source:  DWP 100 per cent. data from the Generalised Matching Service (CMS) Pension Credit scan taken as at 26th May 2006.

Pension Credit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what his latest estimate is of the average time taken to process applications for pension credit in each year since its introduction.

James Purnell: The average time taken to process applications for pension credit in each year since its introduction is detailed in the following table.
	
		
			  Year end  Average actual clearance time 
			 2003-04 12.31 days 
			 2004-05 10.30 days 
			 2005-06 8.74 days

Pension Credit

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of administering pension credit in each year since its introduction.

James Purnell: The information requested is not available.
	I refer the hon. Member to the response I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 18 April 2006,  Official Report, column 431W.

Pensioners

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1682W, on pensioners, what factors were taken into account in deciding to collect information on eligibility for pension credit only at Great Britain level.

James Purnell: The information is not available from administrative data and therefore needs to be collected by specific surveys. The cost of developing and conducting a survey where all local areas are adequately represented would be prohibitive.

Pensions

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has  (a) to meet and  (b) encourage other provision to meet the need for independent professional financial advice in the workplace on pension savings identified in the Pensions White Paper.

James Purnell: The White Paper endorsed the Pensions Commission's view that it is vital that communication with members of the new scheme is designed to enable them, as best as possible, to make informed decisions about their saving. However, it did not specifically identify a need for independent professional financial advice.
	Recognising the importance of information, the White Paper consultation asks for comments on what individuals would need in each proposed approach. The responses will inform the work we are doing in the period before implementation of the new system, when we are actively pursuing three distinct strands of work: developing the information and communications strategy to support the introduction of personal accounts; continuing our work on improving public understanding of pensions, and working with the FSA and others on the broader financial capability strategy. This work includes testing the workplace as a delivery mechanism for financial information, in particular information about pensions.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many occupational pension schemes have  (a) completed winding up and  (b) started the process of winding up since 1997; and how many pension scheme members are affected;
	(2)  how many active members there were in defined benefit schemes which have closed to new members since 1997 in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2005;
	(3)  how many defined benefit schemes have closed to new members in each year since 1995; and how many active members there were in aggregate in these schemes at the time that they closed to new members;
	(4)  how many people who joined a private sector workplace pension scheme during the latest 12 month period for which figures are available will receive  (a) a defined benefit pension linked to final salary,  (b) any other pension with a defined benefit component,  (c) a defined contribution pension with no employer contribution,  (d) a defined contribution pension with an employer contribution worth less than 3 per cent. of gross salary, excluding contracted-out rebates,  (e) a defined contribution pension with an employer contribution at least 3 per cent. of gross salary but no more than 6 per cent. of gross salary, excluding contracted-out rebates and  (f) an employer contribution worth more than 6 per cent. of gross salary, excluding contracted-out rebates;
	(5)  how many individuals aged 22 years or over and earning at least £5,000 a year are employed by organisations outside the public sector, including the BBC and Post Office, which operate workplace pension schemes with employer contributions worth  (a) at least 2.5 per cent. of gross salary and  (b) at least 3 per cent. of gross salary.

James Purnell: This information is not available.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many private sector employers automatically enrol all employees aged 22 years or over and earning more than £5,000 a year into a workplace pension scheme; and how many people in aggregate work for these employers;
	(2)  how many people joined a private sector workplace pension scheme during the latest 12 month period for which figures are available.

James Purnell: This information is not available.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people are projected to reach state pension age in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2067-68 on the assumption that Parliament legislates to raise state pension age in the way proposed in the Pensions White Paper, Security in retirement: Towards a New Pension System and that no further changes to state pension age occur.

James Purnell: The answer is given in the following table:
	
		
			  Number projected to reach state pension age in the United Kingdom in each financial year from 2007-08 to 2067-68 under the White Paper proposals 
			  Financial year  Total 
			 2007-08 714,000 
			 2008-09 702,000 
			 2009-10 691,000 
			 2010-11 504,000 
			 2011-12 557,000 
			 2012-13 556,000 
			 2013-14 530,000 
			 2014-15 515,000 
			 2015-16 505,000 
			 2016-17 500,000 
			 2017-18 502,000 
			 2018-19 503,000 
			 2019-20 500,000 
			 2020-21 686,000 
			 2021-22 708,000 
			 2022-23 732,000 
			 2023-24 745,000 
			 2024-25 377,000 
			 2025-26 379,000 
			 2026-27 777,000 
			 2027-28 801,000 
			 2028-29 821,000 
			 2029-30 838,000 
			 2030-31 848,000 
			 2031-32 846,000 
			 2032-33 845,000 
			 2033-34 832,000 
			 2034-35 412,000 
			 2035-36 409,000 
			 2036-37 803,000 
			 2037-38 805,000 
			 2038-39 791,000 
			 2039-40 757,000 
			 2040-41 719,000 
			 2041-42 698,000 
			 2042-43 680,000 
			 2043-44 664,000 
			 2044-45 332,000 
			 2045-46 334,000 
			 2046-47 697,000 
			 2047-48 736,000 
			 2048-49 750,000 
			 2049-50 737,000 
			 2050-51 743,000 
			 2051-52 763,000 
			 2052-53 793,000 
			 2053-54 801,000 
			 2054-55 806,000 
			 2055-56 823,000 
			 2056-57 819,000 
			 2057-58 819,000 
			 2058-59 830,000 
			 2059-60 827,000 
			 2060-61 808,000 
			 2061-62 797,000 
			 2062-63 785,000 
			 2063-64 780,000 
			 2064-65 785,000 
			 2065-66 774,000 
			 2066-67 763,000 
			 2067-68 748,000 
			  Notes:  1. These estimates were calculated using data from 2004-based national population projections for the United Kingdom made by the Government Actuary's Department (GAD).  2. Numbers for males and females may not add to total number because of rounding.  3. These estimates are of people resident in the UK at the time of reaching state pension age (SPA). They Include those migrating to the UK before SPA and who are resident in the UK on reaching SPA, some of whom may have no entitlement to UK state pension. The estimates do not include those who emigrate from the UK before SPA and reach SPA outside the UK, some of whom may have entitlement to UK state pension benefits.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish an example illustrating how a pension scheme could convert guaranteed minimum pension rights into scheme benefits on an actuarially equivalent basis as proposed in paragraph 2.31 of the Pensions White Paper.

James Purnell: The example given as follows is for illustrative purposes only. It is not intended to cover all the details of the calculation and the figures are indicative only. The results of any Guaranteed Minimum Pension (GMP) conversion will depend on the precise characteristics of the specific scheme and the members involved.
	 Example
	A contracted-out, defined benefit scheme increases deferred pensions in line with the minimum statutory requirements (including the requirements on the GMP). They decide to convert the GMP of a deferred member who left the scheme on 1 July 1995. On leaving he had a total deferred pension of £1,000 a year, of which £150 was underpinned by the GMP.
	 Step 1
	The pension scheme's actuary, based on a set of assumptions about the future, calculates that the current actuarial value of all the existing benefits (including the GMP) is £20,000.
	 Step 2
	Using the same actuarial assumptions, the actuary calculates that, for £20,000, a pension of £1,200 a year could be provided based on scheme rules.
	 Step 3
	This member's entitlement is increased to £1,200. He no longer has a GMP underpin and the new pension entitlement is governed by the rules of the scheme and any legislation that applies to scheme benefits.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the aggregate value of guaranteed minimum pension rights belonging to deferred members of occupational pension schemes that are subject to fixed rate revaluation at the rate of  (a) 8.5 per cent. for individuals who ceased to be active members between 6 April 1978 and 5 April 1988,  (b) 7.5 per cent. for individuals who ceased to be active members between 6 April 1988 and 5 April 1993,  (c) 7.0 per cent. for individuals who ceased to be active members between 6 April 1993 and 5 April 1997,  (d) 6.25 per cent. for individuals who ceased to be active members between 6 April 1997 and 5 April 2002 and  (e) 4.5 per cent. for individuals who ceased to be active members on or after 6 April 2002.

James Purnell: The information is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when it will be necessary for the Government to publish its proposals for the design of personal accounts in order to introduce the new system by April 2012.

James Purnell: We intend to outline further proposals for personal accounts later this year.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to his oral statement of 16 March 2006,  Official Report, column 1627, on occupational pensions, what assumptions underlie his estimate of the cost of rising life expectancy since 1997 for UK pension funds.

James Purnell: During the oral statement I said that both the stock market fall of the late 1990s and rising longevity had cost UK pension funds £250 billion. To clarify, between 1999 and 2002 the market value of occupational pension scheme assets reduced by a total of around £250 billion. We believe this reduction was largely a result of the impact of the stock market fall. Rising longevity would have increased pension fund liabilities during this period, also leading to increases in scheme costs.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether it is the Government's intention that the timetable for increasing the state pension age as set out in the Pensions White Paper, Security in Retirement: Towards a New Pension System, will be amended if changes are made to projected increases in life expectancy.

James Purnell: Our proposals for increasing state pension age are based on the current available evidence which, as we have said in the White Paper, we plan to review periodically. Whether the timetable for increasing state pension age remains appropriate will be a decision for the Government of the day when considering the evidence available at that time.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the Pensions Commission's recommendation that contributions to personal accounts be capped at twice the default contribution for a median earner.

James Purnell: The Pensions Commission, in its second report, recommended an annual cap on contributions to personal accounts of around £3,000, so that any scheme complemented, rather than replaced, existing pension provision. As stated in the White Paper, the Government share that objective, and the proposal for a contribution cap is being analysed very carefully and discussed in detail with external stakeholders. We will bring forward our proposals later in the year.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when he will publish the review of research relevant to assessing the impact of the proposed National Pension Savings Scheme on household savings, which he commissioned from PricewaterhouseCoopers.

James Purnell: This research was published on 1 August 2006 in the Department's research report series (Review of research relevant to assessing the impact of the proposed National Pension Savings Scheme on household savings by John Hawksworth, PricewaterhouseCoopers, DWP research report No. 373).

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will publish the results of quantitative and qualitative research into employer attitudes to personal accounts undertaken by BMRB on behalf of his Department.

James Purnell: The results of qualitative research into employer attitudes to personal accounts, undertaken by BMRB Ltd. on behalf of the Department, were published on 1 August 2006 in "Employer attitudes to personal accounts: report of a qualitative study by Helen Marshall and Andrew Thomas, DWP Research Report No. 371". Preliminary findings from the quantitative research into employer attitudes to personal accounts were published in the Government's White Paper on pension reform, "Security in retirement: towards a new pensions system, May 2006". The full results of this research will be published later in the year.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what responsibilities he has in respect of public sector pension reform.

James Purnell: The Secretary of State does not have any responsibilities in respect of public service pension reform.

Personal Capability Assessment

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will make a statement on the outcome of the Department's review of the personal capability assessment.

Anne McGuire: The review of the personal capability assessment is ongoing. We are still considering the recommendations made in the report by the working groups reviewing the personal capability assessment process.

Post Office Card Account

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions which benefits can be paid into a Post Office card account.

James Plaskitt: The benefits and pensions administered by Department for Work and Pensions that can be paid into a Post Office card account are listed:
	Attendance Allowance
	Bereavement Benefit
	Carer's Allowance
	Child Maintenance
	Christmas Bonus Payments
	Cold Weather Payments
	Disability Living Allowance
	Incapacity Benefit
	Income Support
	Industrial Death Benefit
	Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit
	Jobseeker's Allowance
	Jobcentre Plus New Deal Payments
	Jobcentre Plus Training Payments
	Maternity Allowance
	Pension Credit
	Reduced Earnings Allowance
	Severe Disablement Allowance
	State Retirement Pension
	Social Fund Payments
	Widows Benefit
	Winter Fuel Payments
	Benefits and tax credits administered by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs, Northern Ireland Social Security Agency (NISSA) and the Veteran's Agency can also be paid into a Post Office card account.

Psychotherapeutic Counsellors

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of trained psychotherapeutic counsellors working in or in partnership with job centres.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 9 October 2006:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking what estimate he has made of the number of trained psychotherapeutic counsellors working in or in partnership with Jobcentres. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus does not directly employ staff to provide psychotherapeutic counselling. In Pathways to Work areas, Personal Advisers are able to refer their customers to a Condition Management Programme which can include access to psychological therapies. Although these services are funded by Jobcentre Plus, they are commissioned, and supplied, by local Primary Care Trusts. We are therefore not able to provide details of the number of staff involved.
	In addition, Jobcentres have many local (non-contractual) partnerships with a variety of voluntary and community organisations that offer support to individuals on issues such as coping with life and substance or alcohol abuse. Although counselling is used by some of these organisations, we have no data on whether or not they specifically use trained psychotherapeutic counsellors.

Public Service Agreements

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what action he is taking in reducing timelags in the availability of data relevant to the Department's public service agreement targets.

Anne McGuire: The Department publishes full details of its Public Service Agreement targets, including how they are measured, twice a year in the Departmental Report and Autumn Performance Report, using the latest out-turn information. In many cases monitoring information is available with a lag of three months or less. For others, particularly where complex analysis is involved or firm data on outcomes may be delayed (for example, in areas involving medical events), reporting may take a year or longer. I am always seeking to improve timeliness but must balance this with the need for accuracy and to avoid significant revisions.

Rent Officers

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many training days have been provided to rent officers in each year for which figures are available; and at what cost to his Department.

James Plaskitt: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Number of training days provided to rent officers in England and the related costs 
			  Financial Year (1 April to 31 March)  Number of rent officer training days  Cost to DWP (£) 
			 2003-04(1) 1,447.0 229,116 
			 2004-05 1,169.0 338,264 
			 2005-06 612.5 168,514 
			 (1) The costs for 2003-04 fell to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister as the Rent Service did not transfer to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) until 1 April 2004. 
		
	
	The Rent Officer Service in Wales is the responsibility of the Welsh Assembly. The Rent Registration Service in Scotland is part of the Scottish Executive. As such, no training costs would have been met by DWP.

Samuel Jones Pension Scheme

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the impact of the implementation of the Pensions Act 2004 on Samuel Jones pension scheme (in liquidation) members.

James Purnell: The financial assistance scheme, which was introduced through the Pensions Act 2004 to help some members of defined benefit pension schemes which wind up underfunded, is providing assistance to qualifying members of the Samuel Jones pension scheme.

Samuel Jones Pension Scheme

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the cost of extending the financial assistance scheme to Samuel Jones pension scheme (in liquidation) members.

James Purnell: The Samuel Jones pension scheme is already a qualifying scheme for the financial assistance scheme. Following the review of the financial assistance scheme in May, assistance has been extended to qualifying members who were within 15 years of their scheme's normal retirement age, or above, on 14 May 2004.

Samuel Jones Pension Scheme

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will extend the financial assistance scheme in line with the recommendations from the parliamentary ombudsman to assist Samuel Jones pension scheme (in liquidation) members.

James Purnell: The Government do not accept the ombudsman's recommendation that the Government should consider restoring full pensions to everyone who was a member of a scheme which wound up under-funded between January 1997 and April 2005. Given that the financial assistance scheme is funded by taxpayers, most of whom do not benefit from a defined benefit pension, we do not believe it would be appropriate or fair to extend the scheme to such an extent.
	However, when reviewing the financial assistance scheme we naturally took account of the issues raised by the ombudsman. That review led to the extension of the financial assistance scheme and will give additional certainty to a large number of those who are facing significant loss as the result of the failure of theirpension scheme.

Social Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many social fund applications from each county were processed in each of the six months before the centralisation in Bristol; and how many have been processed in each month since the centralisation.

Jim Murphy: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your question asking how many social fund applications from each county were processed in each of the six months before the centralisation in Bristol, and how many have been processed in each month since centralisation. This is something which falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	As part of the national programme to centralise the processing of Social Fund applications, we are moving all the Social Fund processing work for the South West region to Bristol. The work is being moved in phases and different counties are at different stages of this process. It is envisaged that this work will be completed in 2007.
	Social Fund payments encompass a variety of different types of payment, including Crisis Loans, Budgeting Loans, Community Care Grants, Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants.
	The following tables illustrate the movement of work to date and the number of claims processed in the months either side of the transfer to Bristol.
	Whilst the tables show that the numbers of claims being processed initially fell immediately following the transfer of work, which has meant that some customers have experienced delays in receiving payments, I am pleased to report that this position has now recovered.
	I hope this is helpful.
	 Number of Social Fund applications processed by county in the South West Region.
	 Cornwall
	
		
			  Number of Social Fund applications processed for Cornwall customers since November 2005 
			   Number 
			 November 2005 1,836 
			 December 2005 1,486 
			 January 2006 1,491 
			 February 2006 1,473 
			 March 2006 1,637 
			 April 2006 1,275 
			 May 2006 1,118 
			 June 2006 1,515 
			 July 2006 1,474 
			  Note:  Social Fund work for Cornwall was transferred to Bristol from the end of April 2006. Bulk transfer of cases took place in August 2006 so no data available by county after the end of July as it is not possible to differentiate how many of these cases originated from Cornwall. 
		
	
	 Devon
	
		
			  Budgeting Loan applications processed from May 2005 
			   Number 
			 May 2005 1,896 
			 June 2005 1,736 
			 July 2005 1,864 
			 August 2005 1,321 
			 September 2005 1,363 
			 October 2005 2,306 
			 November 2005 1,608 
			 December 2005 2,152 
			 January 2006 1,343 
			 February 2006 1,432 
			 March 2006 1,549 
			 April 2006 1,418 
			 May 2006 1,676 
			 June 2006 1,860 
			 July 2006 1,943 
			  Note:  The processing of Budgeting Loans for Devon customers transferred to Bristol South at the end of October 2005. Bulk transfer of cases took place in August 2006 so no data available by county after the end of July as it is not possible to differentiate how many of these cases originated from Devon. 
		
	
	
		
			  'Other' Social Fund applications for Devon customers (Crisis Loans, Community Care Grants, Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants) 
			   Number 
			 May 2005 2,915 
			 June 2005 3,020 
			 July 2005 2,892 
			 August 2005 2,735 
			 September 2005 2,893 
			 October 2005 2,955 
			 November 2005 3,095 
			 December 2005 2,879 
			 January 2006 3,347 
			 February 2006 2,952 
			 March 2006 3,515 
			 April 2006 2,477 
			 May 2006 2,899 
			 June 2006 3,138 
			 July 2006 2,805 
			  Note:  The processing of other (Crisis Loans, Community Care Grants, Funeral Payments and Sure Start Maternity Grants) Social Fund payments transferred to Bristol on 5 June 2006. Bulk transfer of cases took place in August 2006 so no data available by county after the end of July as it is not possible to differentiate how many of these cases originated from Devon. 
		
	
	 Gloucestershire
	
		
			  Number of Social Fund applications processed for Gloucestershire customers since August 2005 
			   Number 
			 August 2005 1,585 
			 September 2005 1,638 
			 October 2005 1,600 
			 November 2005 2,006 
			 December 2005 1,661 
			 January 2006 1,486 
			 February 2006 1,228 
			 March 2006 1,703 
			 April 2006 1,313 
			 May 2006 1,602 
			 June 2006 1,725 
			 July 2006 1,963 
			  Note:  The processing of social fund applications for Gloucestershire customers transferred to Bristol from the end of January 2006. Bulk transfer of cases took place in August 2006 so no data available by county after the end of July as it is not possible to differentiate how many of these cases originated from Gloucestershire. 
		
	
	 Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire (including Swindon)
	Social Fund applications for people living in Somerset, Dorset and Wiltshire (including Swindon) have yet to be transferred to Bristol (exact dates are yet to be finalised). The numbers of claims processed in the last six months are as follows:
	
		
			   Somerset  Dorset  Swindon and Wiltshire 
			 March 2006 1,799 3,179 1,839 
			 April 2006 1,493 2,891 1,546 
			 May 2006 1,694 3,264 1,901 
			 June 2006 2,072 3,319 1,784 
			 July 2006 1,789 3,067 1,943 
			 August 2006 1,942 2,901 1,844 
		
	
	 West of England (Bristol and South Gloucestershire)
	
		
			  Work centralised in Bristol South office at the end of March 2006 
			   Number 
			 October 2005 3,940 
			 November 2005 4,334 
			 December 2005 4,425 
			 January 2006 3,841 
			 February 2006 3,613 
			 March 2006 4,684 
			 April 2006 3,715 
			 May 2006 3,885 
			 June 2006 4,236 
			 July 2006 4,404 
			 August 2006 10,027 
			  Note:  From August 2006—figure shown also includes all work from Cornwall, Devon and the remainder of Gloucestershire.

Stakeholder Pensions

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the number of people purchasing stakeholder pensions.

James Purnell: As I said in my reply to the hon. Member on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 901W, we will continue to provide public information in order to help individuals make informed choices about saving for a pension, including information about stakeholder pensions. Stakeholder pensions are sold and marketed by the financial services industry. The suitability of a stakeholder pension for any individual will depend on their particular circumstances. Figures from the Association of British Insurers (ABI) show that around 2,880,000 stakeholder pension policies have been sold since their introduction in April 2001.

Volunteering

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  how many claims for lunch expenses incurred during volunteering were  (a) granted and  (b) denied to those on benefits in 2005;
	(2)  how many of those receiving benefits claimed expenses incurred whilst volunteering in each of the last five years; and what total amount of expenses was paid.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available.

Welfare Modernisation Fund

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what funds were allocated to the Welfare Modernisation Fund in each year since 2001-02; what draw-downs were made in each year; how much has been allocated for 2006-07; and if he will make statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 11 September 2006
	Funds allocated to the Welfare Modernisation Fund (WMF) and draw-downs made by the Department are detailed in the following table:
	
		
			  £ million 
			   Funding  Draw-down 
			 2001-02 672 636 
			 2002-03 786 822 
			 2003-04(1) 900 1,040 
			 2004-05 946 946 
			 2005-06 601 461 
			 Total 3,905 3,905 
			 (1) Draw-down in excess of funding made with Treasury approval in order to support in-year spending plans. 
		
	
	The Welfare Modernisation Fund ceased to exist at the end of 2005-06, at which point all available funds had been drawn down. There are, therefore, no allocations relating to the WMF for 2006-07.
	Although specific WMF funding has been exhausted, the Department's modernisation programme continues, funded from other available departmental budgets.

Welfare Modernisation Fund

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much funding remains in the Welfare Modernisation Fund; and if he will make statement.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 11 September 2006
	The Welfare Modernisation Fund ceased to exist at the end of 2005-06 at which time all available funding had been drawn down by the Department. However, the Department's modernisation programme continues, being funded from other available departmental budgets.

Welfare Reform

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether people who have suicidal tendencies will automatically be part of the support group under the Welfare Reform proposals; and when final details of the support group will be available.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 18 September 2006
	We are still developing criteria for entry into the support group. We anticipate that details will be available for the Commons Committee stage of the Welfare Reform Bill.

Welfare Reform

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what discussions have taken place between the Welfare Reform Bill team and the Social Security Advisory Committee regarding the drafting of the regulations provided for by the Bill;
	(2)  whether all the regulations provided for in the Welfare Reform Bill will fall within the remit of the Social Security Advisory Committee and receive its scrutiny.

Jim Murphy: holding answers 11 September 2006
	With Ministers' agreement, officials have met the Committee on a number of occasions throughout the development of the social security policy in relation to parts 1, 2 and 3 of the Welfare Reform Bill. Our intention is to liaise informally with the Committee about the content of the key regulations under powers in the Welfare Reform Bill, where the Committee may have a future interest in those legislative areas.
	Under section 173 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992 there is no requirement to refer regulations to the Social Security Advisory Committee when regulations are made within six months of the coming into force of an enactment. Any initial regulations associated with the Welfare Reform Bill that are not made within six months of the coming into force of their relevant provisions, and that fall within the Committee's functions, will be subject to referral.

Welfare Reform

Roger Berry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what regulation-making powers are contained under Part 1 clauses and schedules of the Welfare Reform Bill;
	(2)  how many regulation-making powers are contained in the Welfare Reform Bill.

Jim Murphy: holding answer 11 September 2006
	We calculate that there are 180 regulation- making powers in the Welfare Reform Bill.
	Part 1 of the Bill and its associated schedules contain proposed regulation-making powers in the clauses shown in the following tables.
	
		
			  Regulation-making powers contained under Part 1 clauses of the Welfare Reform Bill 
			  Clause  Clause  Clause  Clause  Clause  Clause 
			 2(1)(a) and (c) 4(3) 8(5) 12(3) 16(2) 19(4) 
			 2(2)(c) 4(4)(c) 9(1) 13(1) 16(3) 19(5) 
			 2(3)(c) 4(5)(c) 10(1) 13(2) 16(4) 21(1) in: "period of limited capability" and "week" 
			 2(4)(a), (b) and (c) 4(6)(a), (b) and (c) 10(3) 13(4) 17(1) 21(2) 
			 3(1)(c) 5(2)(a) and (b) 11(1) 14(1) 17(3) 21(3) 
			 3(2)(a), (b), (c) and (d) 5(3) 11(3) 14(4) 18(1) 25(2) 
			 3(3) 7 11(7) 15(2) 19(2) — 
			 4(2)(a) 8(1) 12(1) 16(1) 19(3) — 
		
	
	
		
			  Regulation-making powers contained under Schedule 1 
			  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph 
			 1(4)(a) and (b) 4(1)(a) and (c) 6(1)(b) 6(4)(a) and (b) 6(7) 
			 3(1)(a) 4(3) 6(2) 6(5) in (b) and (d) in "couple" 6(8) 
			 3(2) 4(4) 6(3) 6(5) in "education" and "remunerative work" — 
		
	
	
		
			  Regulation-making powers contained under Schedule 2 
			  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph 
			 1(a), (b) and (c) 4(2) 8(1) 11 15(2) 
			 2 5 8(2) 12  
			 3 6 9 14  
			 4(1) 7(1)(a), (b) and (c) 10 15(1)  
		
	
	
		
			  Regulation-making powers contained under Schedule 3 (amending or extending powers in other legislation) 
			  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph 
			 1 (section 6(9) of the Child Support Act 1991) 4(6) (s.71 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) s.5(3) (s.3 of the Jobseeker's Act 1995) 
			 2 (s.24(1) of the Criminal Justice Act 1991) 4(7) (s.73 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 6(4) (s.11 of the Social Security Act 1998) 
			 3(2) (s.22(5) of the Social Security Contributions and Benefits Act 1992) 4(14) (s. 124 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 6(5) (s.27 of the Social Security Act 1998) 
			 4(2) (s.1 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 4(15) (s.125 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 6(6) (s.28 of the Social Security Act 1998) 
			 4(3) (s.2AA of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 4(17) (s.132 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 7 (s.72 of the Welfare Reform and Pensions Act 1999) 
			 4(4) (s.5 of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 4(18) (s.150(7) of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) — 
			 4(5) (s.15A of the Social Security Administration Act 1992) 5(2) (s.1 of the Jobseeker's Act 1995) — 
		
	
	
		
			  Regulation-making powers contained under in Schedule 4 
			  Paragraph  Paragraph  Paragraph 
			 1(a)and (b) 4(2) 7(a),(b), (c), (d) and (e) 
			 2(a), (b), (c) and (d) 5(2) 8(1) 
			 3 6(1)(a) and (b) 9 
		
	
	In addition, there are a number of provisions which are intended to specify what must be included in the regulations or which illustrate the potential use of the powers.

Winter Fuel Payments

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in winter fuel payments in the London borough of Ealing in 2005-06.

James Purnell: A total of £11.9 million was paid as winter fuel payments in the London borough of Ealing in 2005-06.
	 Note: This figure is rounded to the nearest £100,000.

Winter Fuel Payments

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much was paid in winter fuel payments to people over 60 in Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush constituency in 2005.

James Purnell: A total of £4.2 million was paid as winter fuel payments to people over 60 in Ealing, Acton and Shepherd's Bush constituency in 2005-06.
	(This figure is rounded to the nearest £100,000).

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

Tote

Ben Wallace: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress her Department is making with the sale of the Tote.

Richard Caborn: My Department has been in discussion with a racing consortium regarding the sale of the Tote at full market value.
	Unfortunately we have not been able to reach an agreement with the consortium.
	We will announce shortly how we intend to meet the intentions of the manifesto—achieving value for money for the taxpayer and recognising racing's interest in the Tote.

Sport at School

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress is being made towards the two hours per week sport participation target for school children.

Tessa Jowell: The results of the 2005-06 school sport survey will be published in the near future.
	We are confident that we are on track to meet the 2006 PSA target of 75 per cent. of 5 to 16-year-olds who spend at least two hours each week on high quality PE and school sport, within and beyond the curriculum.
	The 2004-05 School Sport Survey showed an 11 per cent. increase in the percentage of children in school sport partnerships spending at least two hours in a typical week on school sport.

Digital Television

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what percentage of households in Dundee have access to digital television through a roof top aerial.

Shaun Woodward: Ofcom estimates that over 80 per cent. of households in Dundee currently have access to digital terrestrial television.
	Digital TV take-up in Scottish regions is 66 per cent.

Digital Television

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her most recent assessment is of the digital television coverage in  (a) the Forest of Dean area and  (b) other areas; and what steps are being taken to improve coverage in the Forest of Dean.

Shaun Woodward: Ofcom estimates that around two thirds of homes in the Forest of Dean constituency currently receive digital terrestrial services. The majority of homes are able to receive digital TV via satellite, using appropriate equipment.
	Three quarters of UK households are able to receive digital terrestrial television. Digital switchover will allow all those who currently receive a good analogue signal to receive digital TV via an aerial, ensuring that the vast majority of people have a choice of digital platform.

Digital Television

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps she is taking to ensure that digital services are accessible from new-build housing in the Government's growth areas.

Richard Caborn: We recognise the importance of ensuring that digital services are readily accessible from new-build housing, and my officials are working with others in Government on the production of good practice guidance in this area for house builders.

Digital Television

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her assessment is of the level of awareness of the digital switchover in  (a) the South West and  (b) Forest of Dean constituency.

Shaun Woodward: According to Digital UK, in Q2 2006, awareness of digital switchover in the ITV regions covering the South West was as follows:
	
		
			  Q2 switchover awareness 
			  ITV region  Percentage 
			 West country 77 
			 West (1)75 
			 Central 66 
			 (1) Small base size, to be viewed as indicative only. 
		
	
	Information is not available by parliamentary constituency.

Digital Television

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what her estimate is of the  (a) number and  (b) percentage of households that will qualify for assistance in switching over to digital television.

Shaun Woodward: We estimate that around 7 million UK households will qualify for assistance from the digital switchover help scheme between 2008 and 2012. This represents around 25 per cent. of all UK households by 2012.

Digital Television

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how figures for digital television reception are collected and calculated; and whether any new transmitting devices are planned to be built prior to digital switchover.

Shaun Woodward: Ofcom calculate digital terrestrial television coverage using a computer model dividing the UK into units of 50 metre squares using a database with details of all UK transmitter locations, frequencies, heights and powers. The model also makes assumptions about the height and condition of viewers' aerials, the effects of incoming interference from distant UK and continental transmitters.
	The digital terrestrial television network cannot be extended before digital switchover as additional transmitters would interfere with the existing analogue signals.

Digital Television

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the readiness of the residents of Blaenau Gwent to switch to digital television.

Shaun Woodward: DCMS does not hold specific information for Blaenau Gwent.
	Research for Ofcom/Digital UK Switchover Tracker, which measures readiness for switchover in each region, demonstrates Wales has one of the highest levels of switchover awareness (71 per cent.). Wales has the highest take-up of digital television in any UK region. As of March 2006, 80 per cent. of Welsh households already had digital TV (Ofcom, Q1 2006).

Online Gambling

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many online gambling companies have been prosecuted since 1997 for violating the Gaming Act 1968 in advertising their services.

Richard Caborn: Since 1997 there have been no prosecutions for violating the advertising provisions of the 1968 Gaming Act.
	The joint DCMS/Gambling Commission guidance on remote gambling advertising has led to a dramatic reduction in offensive adverts.

BBC

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment she has made of the new arrangements for BBC governance.

Tessa Jowell: The new arrangements for BBC governance take full effect from 1 January. The separation of the Trust from the executive board will strengthen the BBC's independence from Government and its accountability to licence fee payers.

Travelling Circuses

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what is her most recent assessment of the impact of the Licensing Act 2003 on travelling circuses.

Shaun Woodward: The Government remain committed to evaluating the impact of the new licensing requirements on travelling circuses after their first season of operating under the new regime.
	I look forward to meeting the hon. Member shortly to discuss these issues with him.

Olympic Games

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support is being provided for towns wishing to participate in the 2012 Olympic Games.

Richard Caborn: A Nations and Regions Group (NRG) has been established to provide leadership and strategic direction in ensuring that the whole of the UK is engaged with and benefits from the 2012 Games. Local authorities are represented on the working groups which, in each nation and region, are developing a delivery plan to ensure that these opportunities are realised.

Olympic Games

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the Department plans to allow people to camp in public parks during the 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: This has been one proposal for widening access to the 2012 Games that has been put forward within the Department in the context of the consultation that was launched on 19 July. We want to encourage the widest possible debate about how we might maximise all our valuable assets, while recognising that all proposals need to fit in with existing infrastructure and plans for the Games. But no decisions have been taken at this stage.

Olympic Games

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the planned use is of the Olympic Games shooting ranges after the Games end; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Wellingborough (Mr. Bone) on 26 April 2006,  Official Report, columns 1133-34W. Decisions on the future use and location of all of the temporary venues constructed for the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games will be made on a needs basis, in close consultation with the Home Country Sports Councils and UK Sport, closer to 2012.

Olympic Games

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans there are for venues in Wales to be used  (a) to host events and  (b) for athletes' training in the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: The Millennium Stadium in Cardiff will host group stages of the football competition in the 2012 Olympic Games.
	Wales also has venues that could be used to provide facilities for pre-Games training and for the holding camps that a country's National Olympic Committee (NOC) and/or National Paralympic Committee (NPC) may choose to set up prior to the Games.
	In order to assist NOCs and NPCs, the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) is putting together a 'Pre-Games Training Camp Guide' in which facilities in the UK that have been selected as providing a suitable training environment are listed by location and by sport.
	Applications to have a facility listed in the Pre-Games Training Camp Guide can be made on the London 2012 website: www.london2012.com/trainingcamps. They will then be collated at regional level and a proposed list of facilities submitted to LOCOG for final selection. The guide will be distributed to NOCs and NPCs in July 2008.

Olympic Games

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans  (a) she and  (b) her Department has to meet Welsh Assembly Government Ministers and officials to discuss maximising benefits to Wales from the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: The information is as follows.
	 (a) The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport plans to meet periodically with the Secretary of State for Wales to review progress towards maximising the benefits to Wales of the 2012 games. Additionally, as Sports Minister, I have met with Alun Pugh on a number of occasions.
	 (b) A Nations and Regions Group (NRG), has been established to provide leadership and strategic direction in ensuring that the whole of the UK is engaged and makes the most of the opportunities to benefit from the games in 2012. Each nation and region, including Wales, is represented on the NRG and is developing a delivery plan to ensure that it gains the maximum benefits from the games and its legacy.
	The Welsh Steering Group for the London 2012 games has also been established to create a direct link with the work of the London 2012 organising committee, DCMS, and wider organisations in Wales. Officials from the Steering Group represent Welsh interests on the Nations and Regions Group.

Olympic Games

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the economic effects on  (a) inner London,  (b) Greater London and  (c) the rest of the UK from the 2012 Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: We commissioned PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) to produce an Olympic Games Impact Study (OGIS) to assess the net benefits of hosting the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012 in social and economic terms to London and the UK. This study (published in December 2005) shows there are likely to be significant benefits for the UK.
	Through the Nations and Regions Group we will work with regional development agencies and other key regional bodies to develop plans and strategies to maximise these opportunities.
	The OGIS report can be accessed on the Department for Culture, Media and Sport website at: www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/archive_2005/ogis

Olympic Games

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the Olympic Delivery Authority includes social rented housing in its legacy.

Richard Caborn: The Olympic Park legacy will include affordable housing, including a mix of social rented and intermediate housing (like shared ownership), as set out in local and regional planning policy documents. The Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA) will make a new planning application for elements of the Olympic Village located outside of Stratford City, at Clays Lane in January, and they will work with the Olympic Village development partner to determine the level and type of affordable housing.
	There will also be legacy applications for housing on other areas of the Park, and the content of these will be discussed between relevant parties, including the ODA, London Development Agency, London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and others. My Department will continue to work with Government colleagues to ensure that affordable housing of all kinds is included within this legacy.

Olympic Games

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what examples there are of good practice by local authorities in the preparation and planning for the build up to the 2012 Olympics.

Richard Caborn: We have established a Nations and Regions Group which draws together key players from each of the English regions and the devolved Administrations to ensure the whole of the UK is involved in and can maximise the opportunities of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
	Each region has established a working group as a focal point for planning for the Games. These working groups bring together key regional bodies such as Regional Development Agencies, Regional Sports Boards, Regional Cultural Consortia and local authorities to ensure effective joint working on preparations for the 2012 Games, including the recent 'Be Part of 2012' Roadshow which toured the UK during July, engaging local communities and businesses.

Olympic Games

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what  (a) assessments and  (b) reports her Department holds on file of incidents of contamination on the proposed site of the London 2012 site at Stratford.

Richard Caborn: The London Development Agency (LDA), in consultation with the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA), is responsible for the assembly and remediation of the land for the Olympic Park site in Stratford.
	Initial site investigation and desk-top research work, undertaken by the LDA in support of the Olympic and Legacy Planning Applications, identified some contamination within the footprint of the Olympic Park area. Site investigations are currently being carried out, in accordance with industry best practice, to identify the exact type and concentrations of contamination. The investigations are following principles set out in the Intrusive Investigation Method Statement approved by the London boroughs of Hackney, Newham, Tower Hamlets and Waltham Forest, the Environment Agency and British Waterways, a copy of which has been placed in the Library of the House.
	The process of characterising the nature of ground conditions within the Olympic Park is ongoing and is not due for completion for many months. Although the Department for Culture, Media and Sport will be working closely with the LDA and ODA throughout the exercise, the reports will be commissioned by those bodies.

Olympic Games

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what changes have been made to the initial Olympic Park plans to meet security requirements.

Tessa Jowell: Security considerations have been written into design work at every stage of the plans and remain of the utmost importance. Though security was not a primary driver for the recent changes to the plans, all alterations that were made by the Olympic Delivery Authority were done so in consultation with the relevant Government agencies, including the Home Office, which leads on security issues in relation to the Games.

TV Licences

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the concessionary schemes for television licences.

Shaun Woodward: The Government have introduced free licences for people aged 75 or over and increased the discount for registered blind people to 50 per cent. of the licence fee, as well as retaining the accommodation for residential care scheme for retired people aged 60 or over and disabled people. We reviewed the concessionary arrangements as part of BBC Charter Review but, for the reasons set out in the White Paper published in March this year, we have no plans for any changes to the existing concessions.

TV Licences

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether the eligibility for a free television licence for the over-75s applies to  (a) second homes,  (b) those permanently in care homes and  (c) those in care homes for a short-term period.

Shaun Woodward: The BBC, as television licensing authority, is responsible for interpreting the television licensing regulations and for determining licensing requirements in specific circumstances. However, the general position is that free television licences are not available for second addresses, whether permanent or short-term. A person aged 75 or over who is ordinarily resident in a care home that qualifies for the communal Accommodation for Residential Care (ARC) concessionary licence does not need a separate television licence and the standard fee of £5 per unit of accommodation is waived for their accommodation. An over-75 living in a care home that does not qualify for the ARC concession would be entitled to their own free television licence.

Ticket Touting

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to prevent ticket touting at sporting events; and if she will make a statement.

Shaun Woodward: In the last few months we have brought together a wide range of interested parties including from sports and from the primary and secondary ticketing industry as well as internet auction sites to discuss how to clamp down on ticket touting and provide ticket selling arrangements in the best interest of fans and the wider public. The Secretary of State has chaired three meetings and a further one is planned for December. In support of this my Department is undertaking research into consumer and other stakeholder opinions and is liaising closely with the Department of Trade and Industry and other public agencies to ensure that relevant legislation and other measures provide as good a regime as possible for the elimination of touting and the encouragement of good ticketing practice.
	I will be reporting the outcome of this work as soon as possible next year.

Freeview

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will make a statement on the availability of Freeview in Wirral.

Shaun Woodward: Ofcom estimates that over 80 per cent. of households in Wirral currently have access to digital terrestrial television.
	Digital TV take-up in the Granada region is 74 per cent.

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what average hourly rate her Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport use the Sammons Group and Adecco employment agencies to provide temporary staff. Average hourly rates in the year to 31 March 2006 were 14.50 for Sammons and 13.96 for Adecco. Information for earlier years is not available without disproportionate cost to the Department and its employment agencies.

Authorised Version

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what plans she has to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the Authorised Version of the Scriptures.

David Lammy: There are no plans in place to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the publication of the Authorised Version of the Scriptures in 2011.

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on which occasions  (a) she and  (b) Ministers in her Department have discussed with the Deputy Prime Minister (i) the Government's policy on regional casinos, (ii) planning issues connected to regional casinos, (iii) the post-sale use of the Millennium Dome and (iv) gambling policy.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 12 July 2006
	DCMS Ministers have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Casinos

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many representations have been received by the Department from Manchester residents in opposition to a regional casino.

Richard Caborn: The Department has not received any representations from Manchester residents opposed to a regional casino in Manchester. All representations relating to bids by local authorities for the right to issue the one regional casino premises licence permitted by the Gambling Act 2005 have been made to the Casino Advisory Panel, which is operating independently of the Department.
	A summary of representations received by the panel both for and against a regional casino in Manchester is available on the Casino Advisory Panel's website (www.culture.gov.uk/caphttp://www.culture.gov.uk/cap).

Child Protection in Sport

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much public money was given to the Child Protection in Sport Unit in 2005-06.

Richard Caborn: Over 2005-06, the Child Protection in Sport Unit received 227,000 of Exchequer funding from Sport England.

Connections Through Culture

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the likely impact of the Connections through Culture project on Chinese recognition of British culture.

Richard Caborn: China-UK: Connections through Culture is a joint initiative between the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS), the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the British Council with support from the Scottish Executive. A study has been completed to consider how best to develop further cultural co-operation between the UK and China, including diplomatic and trade ties.

Criminal Injuries Compensation

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to her answer of 4 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 915-16W, on criminal injuries compensation, when she will be making an announcement of further details on the operation of the charitable fund; what estimate has been made of the cost of extending the Criminal Injuries Compensation scheme to cover British victims of terrorism abroad; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: As indicated in the previous answer, the Government will make an announcement on this subject in the near future.

Criminal Offences

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many criminal offences her Department has created by Orders in Council in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: At 27 July 2006 no new criminal offences have been created by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport by Order in Council since 1997. Existing criminal offences have been extended to the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man by the following Orders in Council:
	 Broadcasting (Guernsey) Order 2003 (SI 2003/3192)
	The offences in section 13(1) and section 97(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 were extended to Guernsey.
	 Broadcasting (Isle of Man) Order 2003 (SI 2003/3193)
	The offence in section 13(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 was extended to the Isle of Man.
	 Broadcasting (Jersey) Order 2003
	The offences in section 13(1) and section 97(1) of the Broadcasting Act 1990 were extended to Jersey.
	 Wireless Telegraphy (Jersey) Order 2003
	The offences in sections 168 to 173 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 were extended to Jersey.
	 Broadcasting and Communications (Jersey) Order 2004
	The offences in section 363(2) and 366(8) of the Communications Act 2003 were extended to Jersey.
	Members should consult the texts of the Acts for full details of the offences.

Departmental Child care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport 
	(1)  what child care  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to her Department's staff;
	(2)  whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which her Department provides for its employees;
	(3)  which of her Department's main premises have child care facilities on site.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides a range of support for people with child care needs.
	The Department participates in the Westminster holiday play scheme which is run at four central London sites. This scheme costs 25 per day per child, of which the Department subsidises half. There is not a set number of allocated places to the Department and places are offered on a first come, first served basis. Waiting lists for these places occur if a date and site become over-subscribed. The Department does not have on-site child care facilities at any of its own premises.
	The Department also offers child care vouchers through a salary sacrifice scheme to provide parents with maximum flexibility in choosing the child care most suited to their needs. DCMS meets the cost of administration which is 5.5 per cent of the value of vouchers taken by staff. Currently there are nine members of staff who take advantage of this scheme.
	The Department has also introduced the Family Life Solutions service for all staff (a free and confidential telephone helpline service offering support to people with caring responsibilities and information on a range of issues, including child care). The cost of this for the Department is approximately 1,500 per year for 520 staff.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication her Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

David Lammy: The publications produced by the Department since 1 July 2005 are listed in the table:
	
		
			  Title  Cost ()  Amount 
			 Gambling Act 2005: What it means for Licensing Authorities 769.31 3,000 copies 
			 Listing CriteriaPublic Consultation 2,346.44 1,000 copies 
			 Ecclesiastical Exemption 581.62 n/a pdf only 
			 About Us (Amendments and reprint) 1,375 2,500 copies 
			 Hague Convention Consultation 5,549.34 1,000 copies 
			 Marine ConsultationAnalysis of responses 581.62 n/a pdf only 
			 Treasure Annual Report 28,581.71 3,000 copies 
			 Museums Acquisitions 2,976.80 1,000 copies 
			 Human Remains Code of Practice 3,984.31 500 copies 
			 Open House Leaflet 368.00 2,500 copies 
			 Total Reward Leaflet 2,209.00 600 copies 
			 Gambling Act: Transitional Arrangements Consultation 1,233.7 n/a pdf only 
			 Spoliation Advisory PanelAshmolean Report 3,164.00 180 copies 
			 Sustainable Development Plan 2,955.50 800 copies 
			 DCMS Annual Report (TSO) 46,229.30 1,500 copies 
			 Laying the Foundations 12,992.00 3,000 copies 
			 Abolition of Slavery leaflet 1,861.47 3,000 copies 
			 Lottery Good Causes Consultation 1,143.25 4,000 copies 
			 Nurturing Creativity in Young People 1,4310 1000 copies 
			 Digital Housing Project (reprint) 1,350 5000 copies 
			 Communicating with the over 65 years: Desk Research document 1,010.50 n/a online 
			 Government Response to Select Committee Report about Digital Switchover 1,634 100 copies 
			 Digital Expert Group report document 503 n/a online 
			 Digital Expert Group report (July 2006) document 457.50 n/a online 
			 Gambling Act: Fees document 1,545 n/a online 
			 The role of higher and further education in the Creative Industries full document 4,180 700 copies 
			 The role of higher and further education in the Creative Industries A4 summary 1,138 500 copies 
			 The role of higher and further education in the Creative Industries flyer 920 1,500 copies 
			 Market for Art: Government reply to 6th report CMS committeetype setting and printing 1,580.00 100 copies 
			 Report on Theatre: Government response to CMS committee typesetting + printing 1,690.00 120 copies 
			 Public Libraries: Government response to CMS select Committee, typesetting + printing 1,910.00 200 copies 
			 DCMS Resource Accounts 4,619.49 200 copies 
			 Export of objects of cultural interest 12,243 700 copies 
			 National Lottery Dist fund typesetting/printing 2,326.00 500 copies 
			 Government response to committee report on charter reviewtype setting and printing 1,544.00 100 copies 
			 Spoliation Advisory Panel report 3,164.00 180 copies 
			 BBC White Paper 15,311.90 3,000 copies 
			 Broadcasting Cricket document typeset and print 3,164.00 200 copies 
			 Spoliation Advisory Panel/4 drawings 1,740.00 100 copies 
			 Government response to Lords Select Committee on charter Review 1,544.00 150 copies 
			 DCMS Business Plan reprint 1,000 copies 1,350.00 1,000 copies 
			 Dynamic Action Plan 1,540.00 5,000 copies 
			 Dance Link brochure: Design, Artwork + print 11,912.00 20,000 copies 
			 DCMS Business Plan 2006-07 3,503 2,000 copies 
			 BBC Charter White Paper 17,765 2,000 copies 
			 BBC Draft Royal Charter and Framework Agreement 2,760 120 copies 
			 BBC Revised Draft Royal Charter  BBC Revised Draft Framework Agreement 2,227 100 copies 
			 BBC Further Revised Draft Royal Charter 330 175 copies 
			 Sustainable Development Action Plan 2,812 800 copies 
			 Working Together: local authorities and DCMS 8,043 25,000 copies 
			 Tourism Consultation document 8,500 5,000 copies

Departmental Staff

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of  (a) staff and  (b) new staff employed since April 2005 in (i) her Department and (ii) each of the agencies for which she has responsibility is recorded as disabled.

David Lammy: The proportion of staff employed in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport recorded as disabled is 3 per cent. and in the Royal Parks Agency 1.5 per cent. The Department and its Agency collect disability data on the basis of voluntary self-classification. Recruitment since April 2005 has been limited and data on the number of disabled staff employed cannot be released as numbers less than five are suppressed to protect confidentiality.

Departmental Staff

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many disabled people were hired by her Department in each of the last five years for which figures are available; what percentage of the overall workforce these figures represented in each year; and how many disabled people left employment in her Department over the same period.

David Lammy: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport collects disability data on the basis of voluntary self-classification. Data on the number of disabled staff hired, the percentage of the overall workforce and leavers in each of the last five years since April 2006 cannot be released as numbers less than five are suppressed to protect confidentiality.

Departmental Staff

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles her Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of her Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

David Lammy: The Department does not provide tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles for staff. We provide interest-free loans for the purchase of bicycles.
	We have recently upgraded our on-site facilities for cyclists including provision of additional bicycle racks and upgraded shower facilities. We provide parking spaces for disabled staff.

Departmental Staff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many of her Department's employees have been  (a) dismissed,  (b) suspended and  (c) subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: At 25 July 2006 no employee of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport had been dismissed, suspended or subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity since 1997.

Digital Television (Unsolicited Messages)

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what systems, regulations and guidelines are in place governing the unsolicited messages that are displayed on digital television screens.

Shaun Woodward: The matters raised are the responsibility of the Office of Communications as independent regulator. Officials have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to respond directly. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Gambling

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many code of practice provisions relating to social responsibility the Gambling Commission is proposing for  (a) licensed bingo clubs,  (b) licensed betting offices and  (c) licensed casinos.

Richard Caborn: The Gambling Commission is still considering responses to its consultation document Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice, (published in March 2006), so the number of provisions to be included in the Commission's social responsibility codes for each type of licensed operator is still to be finalised. The Commission is aiming to publish its response to the consultation document and the final codes of practice and conditions on social responsibility by the end of October 2006.

Independent European Football Review

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made with the Independent European Football Review; and what the deadline is for its final report.

Richard Caborn: My officials continue to consult with the football authorities, the Central Council of Physical Recreation, other Departments and the devolved Administrations.
	We anticipate that discussions about the review will continue at a number of levels for the foreseeable future, including at the Sports Ministers Conference during the Finnish presidency in November.

Intellectual Property

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions her Department has had with the Gowers intellectual property review team with regard to  (a) football fixture lists,  (b) sports specific rights and  (c) proposals from the Independent European Football review.

Richard Caborn: To date the Department has not discussed these issues with the Gowers review team.

Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what guidance her Department has issued to library authorities in the last 12 months on improving library services.

David Lammy: In 2003 the Department published Framework for the Future, its national strategy for public libraries over the next 10 years. Since then the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has devised and led on an action plan to take forward its recommendations. Over the last 12 months the MLA has undertaken a considerable number of activities to help individual library authorities improve their services. These have included publishing several reports such as on improved stock procurement by libraries, and on how libraries might engage more fully with their local communities together with a toolkit to help them do so. Programmes of leadership training and peer reviews of individual library authorities have continued and a review of the Public Library Service Standards has been instituted.
	A full list of its activities is contained in the latest quarterly monitoring report (to June 2006) to be found on the MLA website at http://www.mla.gov.uk/website/programmes/framework/background/background A new action plan setting out the MLA's proposed activities over the period 2006 to 2008 may also be found there.

Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent on refurbishing public libraries in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: The Chartered Institute for Public Finance and Expenditure (CIPFA) estimates that the following sums of capital expenditure were spent on public library refurbishments between 1997-98 and 2004-05.
	
		
			
			 1997-98 7,248,043 
			 1998-99 8,378,576 
			 1999-2000 8,628,365 
			 2000-01 10,328,347 
			 2001-02 20,091,390 
			 2002-03 21,050,013 
			 2003-04 16,675,414 
			 2004-05 26,357,075 
		
	
	These figures show that capital expenditure has increased from 7.2 million (over 8.5 million in 2004-05 prices) to over 26 million. This represents a three fold uplift across the period in real terms.

Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what measures her Department is taking to improve the quality of book stocks in public libraries.

David Lammy: In 2001 my Department introduced the Public Library standards, to help to define local authorities' statutory duty. Two of these standards have regard to the lending stock held by libraries, setting targets for items added to the collections through purchase per 1,000 population, and time taken to replenish the stock. Since 2001 there has been significant improvement in these areas primed by these standards, which both aim to encourage the quantity, freshness and condition of the stock that library users find when they visit.
	Reader development organisation Opening the Book has been joint funded by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA), Arts Council England and the Audit Commission to deliver a stock quality health check of public libraries. This looks in detail at the range and depth of adult fiction and poetry stock in public libraries, and the findings are made available online (www.stockquality.org/stockquality/). This tool continues to enable them to compare themselves with other authorities105 of the 149 English authorities did so last yearand to understand how their existing book selection systems might align their purchasing more closely with the varying needs of local communities.
	The MLA has also developed a national book purchasing model for public libraries. This was published in August this year under the title Better Stock, Better Libraries. The report outlines how up to 20 million of savings can be made for local authorities through joint selection and purchasing, and creates a significant opportunity for authorities to reinvest those savings in improving library services to customers, including their book stock levels. The next stage of the project will develop the proposals in detail and test them fullyincluding the costs, risks and benefitsbefore they are implemented.

Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will take steps to ensure that public libraries do not charge users for access to the internet as part of the People's Network.

David Lammy: The People's Network was introduced from 2002 onwards, connecting all public libraries in England to the internet through publicly accessible computers.
	At the time of the Network's introduction, the intention was that it should be free universally at point of use. The majority of the 149 library authorities do not charge for public access to it. However, the decision whether or not to charge for this access rests with the individual authorities. All authorities that do charge offer concessions for particular types of user and some offer free access each day for a limited period.

Libraries

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when the Government intend to publish their libraries' buildings audit.

David Lammy: The Library Buildings Survey, funded by DCMS and commissioned by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, was published on 18 September 2006.
	The Survey results can be found at:
	www.mla.gov.uk/website/news/press_releases/Library_Buildings_Survey_Published2

Licensing Act

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date the Government expect to publish revised guidance to local authorities on the Licensing Act 2003; and whether the Government plan to consult on the revised guidance.

Shaun Woodward: The Secretary of State expects to consult on draft revised guidance to licensing authorities on the discharge of their functions under the Licensing Act 2003 shortly. The public consultation exercise will last for 12 weeks. Following consideration of responses to the consultation, we expect to issue finalised revised guidance early in 2007.

Listed Buildings

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many properties are listed at each grade of listed building.

David Lammy: The number of properties listed at each grade is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Grade I 9,120 
			 Grade II 20,955 
			 Grade II 341,708 
		
	
	There are also a number of churches that are still graded under the old ABC system. These are as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 Grade A 36 
			 Grade B 400 
			 Grade C 278

National Lottery

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much superdraws have contributed to the funds raised by the national lottery for good causes since they were introduced; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: There have been 72 national lottery guaranteed jackpots, or superdraws, since they were first introduced in 1995. In total, they have contributed 776,966,865 to the good causes.

National Lottery

Clive Efford: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the source is of the money paid out on national lottery superdraws; and how many draws there have been since they were first introduced.

Richard Caborn: There have been 72 national lottery guaranteed jackpots, or superdraws, since they were introduced on 7 January 1995. Of these, 52 took place under the first and interim licence periods, with a further 20 taking place under the second (current) licence period.
	Under the first and interim licence periods, funding for superdraws was taken from the prize target shortfall. The shortfall was the difference between the amount of revenue that Camelot's 1994 bid anticipated paying in prizes and the actual amount paid. Following the funding of the superdraw, the balance of the shortfall, together with the interest generated on it, passed in full to the National Lottery Distribution Fund (NLDF).
	Under the 2002-09 licence, which took effect on 27 January 2002, there has been a change in the way that superdraws are funded. The increased prize payout for a superdraw is now funded jointly by the NLDF and the operator (Camelot) in the proportion that they benefit from incremental sales. Since superdraws use funds which would otherwise be destined for the good causes, individual superdraw events have to be approved by the National Lottery Commission.

Portchester Castle

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 963-64W, on Portchester Castle, if she will place in the Library a copy of the regulations made in 1974; and if she will make a statement.

David Lammy: I have arranged for copies of the 1974 Portchester Castle Regulations to be deposited in the Libraries of both Houses.

Questionnaires

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many  (a) questionnaires,  (b) statistical inquiries and  (c) investigations have been carried out wholly or partly at public expense on behalf of or by her Department or public bodies for which she is responsible in each year since 1997; and what the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was of each.

David Lammy: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost. However, the following information is readily available:
	 Questionnaires and statistical inquiries
	 Taking Part Surveya continuous survey of individuals in private households collecting information on how people choose to spend their time and their views on the leisure activities and facilities available to them. Results are used to provide a robust evidence base for policy-making and to monitor participation and attendance in DCMS sectors by priority groups, reflecting our PSA3 target for 2005-08.
	Total Cost: 1.47 million (2005-06), 2.7 million (2006-07)funded by DCMS, Arts Council England, Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, Sport England and English Heritage
	 General Household Surveyprior to the launch of the Taking Part survey, the Department made an annual contribution to this major ONS survey. Additionally, in 2002-03, Sport England and Arts Council England jointly funded a module on the survey to collect information on individuals' participation and attendance in sporting and cultural activities.
	DCMS Contribution: 16,300 (2000-01), 16,700 (2001-02), 17,200 (2002-03), 17,600 (2003-04), 18,000 (2004-05)
	 UK Time Use Surveyalong with several other Departments, DCMS made contributions over five years relating to this large one-off survey in 2000, with surplus finances used to fund a follow-up exercise in 2005. The survey combined diary and questionnaire elements to illustrate how people in the UK spend their time.
	DCMS Contribution: 30,000 (in each year 1998-99 to 2002-03)
	 International Passenger Surveythe Department makes an annual contribution to this survey run by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Information is gathered on tourism to and from the UK and is used to meet our statutory requirement to provide tourism statistics to Eurostat.
	DCMS Contribution: 1,600 (2000-01), 18,300 (2001-02), 18,900 (2002-03), 1,800 (2003-04), 20,300 (2004-05), 21,100 (2005-06)
	 Other Tourism SurveysAs part of a consortium, DCMS funded the last GB Day Visits Survey in 2002-03 to capture information on the volume and value of this important element of the tourism industry. Alongside results from other tourism surveys, this allows estimation of the size of the industry and monitoring of progress towards industry growth targets.
	DCMS Contribution: 45,000 (2001-02)
	Although DCMS does not contribute directly to their funding, two other major tourism surveys are carried out by the National Tourist Boards partly on the Department's behalf. The UK Tourism Survey collects information on domestic overnight trips and the UK Occupancy Survey collects information on levels of occupancy in different types of accommodation. The results of both these surveys are used by the Department to meet our statutory requirement to provide tourism statistics to Eurostat.
	 Broadcasting SurveysAs part of its work on the BBC Charter Review and Digital Switchover, DCMS has undertaken a number of surveys of individuals.
	Cost: 35,000 (2001-02), 120,000 (2004-05), 32,500 (2005-06)
	 Licensing SurveysPrior to the recent change in the Licensing Act, a Liquor Licensing statistical bulletin was published by DCMS in 2004, and this is scheduled to be updated in 2007 (though reflecting changes in laws). The Department has also undertaken several small-scale ad-hoc surveys in relation to the implementation of the new Act. A survey of betting licences was also carried out in 2003.
	Costs: Not separately identified.
	 Investigations: other departmental research projects
	The Department has undertaken a number of research projects over the last few years to provide evidence to support policy. The projects since 2003-04 have been undertaken at a cost of over 1 million and include:
	
		
			  Project  Budget (000) 
			 Gambling prevalence 175 
			 Arts and crime / Arts and health 95 
			 Productivity in the music industry 100 
			 Public libraries position statements 179 
			 Local authority performance framework 50

Royal Parks Agency

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the capital grants from her Department to the Royal Parks Agency will be over the next three years.

David Lammy: The Royal Parks Agency has been allocated capital grants of 900,000 in 2006-07 and 2007-08. Funding for 2008-09 is subject to the outcome of the 2007 Spending Review.

Security Passes

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many security passes have been reported  (a) lost and  (b) stolen by staff in her Department by year since February 2004.

David Lammy: Since 1 January 2006 a total of  (a) 35 passes have been reported as lost, and  (b) none stolen. Details of passes reported lost or stolen prior to 1 January 2006 are not available.

Shanghai Expo

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what provision her Department has made to fund the British pavilion at the 2010 Better City Better Life Expo in Shanghai.

David Lammy: DCMS has no current provision to fund the British pavilion at the 2010 Better City Better Life Expo in Shanghai.

South Kensington Museums

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what steps her Department is taking to ensure that improvements are made to the tunnel link between South Kensington underground station and the museums on Cromwell Road and to the streetscape in the Exhibition Road area.

David Lammy: The tunnel link from South Kensington underground station is owned and managed by Transport for London, and the streetscape in the Exhibition Road area is the responsibility of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, the City of Westminster, and Transport for London. Improvements to the subway, a Grade II listed structure, form an integral part of the proposed Exhibition Road project, which seeks to enhance the physical setting and connecting public spaces of the Exhibition Road area.
	My Department welcomes the project, led by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea with the City of Westminster and Transport for London. I understand a bid is to be submitted to the Heritage Lottery Fund to help fund the redevelopment of the tunnel link. Officials from the Department chair and provide the secretariat for the Exhibition Road Cultural Consortium, an alliance of all the cultural institutions in the Exhibition Road area associated with the project. The next meeting of the consortium is scheduled for 23 October.

Sport in the Community

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the provision of sport in the community.

Richard Caborn: The Department is committed to the provision of sport in the community, assessed through our public service agreement target of increasing levels of participation in sport by priority groups by 3 per cent. by 2008. We are implementing a range of measures to achieve this target, which will be measured through our Taking Part survey. First year results will be available by the end of this year.
	By this year, the Government and the national lottery will have committed over 1 billion to develop new or refurbished public sports facilities. Sports facilities programmes such as Active England, the New Opportunities for PE and Sport initiative and the Community Club Development Programme are supporting the development of over 4,000 new or refurbished sports facilities.
	Government investment in the coaching strategy between 2004 and 2008 will total 60 million with the bulk being spent on establishing a network of around 3,000 Community Sports Coaches. We are also investing 100 million in England from 2005-08 in the Community Club Development Programme assisting National Governing Bodies to develop community sports clubs to increase participation and widen access.
	We have also committed 34.5 million over the next two years to the National Sports Foundation to fund a range of projects to benefit grassroots sport, and we will be encouraging the private sector to match this funding.

Sports Betting

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will bring forward similar legislative proposals on sports betting to those introduced in Victoria, Australia; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The Government have no plans to introduce similar proposals to those outlined in the Victoria state discussion document.
	The Government understand that the Victoria Department for Justice published a paper in March 2006 discussing how the Australian sports betting industry could be better regulated. It was designed to initiate discussions on allowing sports to determine if betting can take place on their events; protecting the integrity of sports on which betting takes place; and returning a percentage of all betting on sports to the benefit of those sports.
	The Independent European Sport Review Report 2006 addresses a number of related issues, particularly with regard to football. The Government are considering the report and will publish its response in due course.

Sports Funding

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much her Department has invested in sport in each of the last five years; and how much of that funding was targeted towards children and young people.

Richard Caborn: DCMS funding for sport is primarily channelled through Sport England and UK Sport. The following table shows the funding for these bodies over the last five years.
	
		
			   
			   UK Sport  Sport England 
			   Exchequer  Lottery  Exchequer  Lottery 
			 2001-02 16,381,000 25,442,000 43,162,000 237,583,000 
			 2002-03 15,513,000 21,463,000 80,324,000 223,742,000 
			 2003-04 23,018,000 20,041,000 44,572,000 202,531,000 
			 2004-05 23,089,000 21,055,000 74,455,000 189,899,000 
			 2005-06 29,305,000 19,000,000 78,963,000 175,000,000 
			 Total 2001-06 107,306,000 107,001,000 321,476,000 1,028,755,000 
		
	
	UK Sport is the Government's lead agency for high performance sport. It is charged with leading British sport to world-class success. Its investments are primarily directed at sports and their high performance performers who compete or have the potential to compete in international sporting competitions. In addition to running the World Class Pathway Programme, UK Sport is responsible for the Talented Athletes Sponsorship Scheme (TASS), which is targeting 17 million over 2004-08 in young talent, primarily between the ages of 16 and 25. TASS 2012, a strand of TASS launched in 2005, targets funding at talented 12 to 18-year-olds with potential to win a medal in the 2012 Olympics and Paralympics.
	DCMS has contributed 193 million over 2002-06 to the 459 million Physical Education, School Sport and Club Links (PESSCL) Strategy run jointly with DfES. Some 113 million of the 193 million has been channelled through Sport England and 80 million has been allocated to School Sport Partnerships directly. This funding is targeted directly at children and young people. See the following table.
	
		
			  DCMS PESSCL funding 
			
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 43,000,000 
			 2003-04 67,000,000 
			 2004-05 38,000,000 
			 2005-06 45,000,000 
		
	
	Significant lottery funding is also spent on DCMS priorities for sport and physical activity through the New Opportunities for PE and Sport (NOPES), the Active England Programme, and School Sports Co-ordinators. NOPES and School Sports Co-ordinators primarily benefit children and young people, whereas Active England benefits the whole community. The following table sets out the funding allocated through each of these programmes over the last five years.
	
		
			   
			   NOPES  Active England( 1)  School Sports Coordinators 
			 2001-02 10,596,800   
			 2002-03 72,921,857  5,556,286 
			 2003-04 131,359,522  8,193,277 
			 2004-05 262,961,886 57,095,000 7,475,404 
			 2005-06 42,143,693 17,340,289 15,664,862 
			 (1) Sport England has also allocated 31.5 million to Active England.

Sports Stadiums

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate her Department has made of the number of UK sports stadia certified by the Eco-Management and Audit Scheme for their environmental management; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: UK sports stadiums are owned by a range of organisations including clubs, local authorities and trusts. Therefore, this information is not held centrally.

Television Reception (Leicester)

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1764W, on Televisions, Leicester, what proportion of Leicester residents live in areas where only the Sutton Coldfield BBC transmitter provides adequate signals; and how many households this represents.

Shaun Woodward: Precise figures for the Sutton Coldfield BBC transmitter are not recorded.
	Precise figures for Leicester residents receiving television signals from Sutton Coldfield BBC transmitter are not recorded.

Television Without Frontiers Directive

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what estimate she has made of the costs to UK businesses arising from the implementation of the new rules contained in the EU television without frontiers directive.

Shaun Woodward: The Department's partial regulatory impact assessment on the European Commission's proposal for the revision of the television without frontiers directive raised the question of costs to UK businesses. The Department's consultation on the proposal invited businesses to provide an estimate of costs. The consultation period has recently closed and we are considering the information provided. Our analysis will also take full account of the report by Rand Europe Assessing Indirect Impacts of the EC Proposals for Video Regulation.

Tourism

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many tourists visited England in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Richard Caborn: The following tables set out the number of visits to England from (i) overseas and (ii) the UK where this included an overnight stay.
	
		
			  Inbound visits to England by year 
			  million 
			   Visits (all) 
			 1997 19.6 
			 1998 19.9 
			 1999 21.5 
			 2000 21.5 
			 2001 19.3 
			 2002 20.5 
			 2003 21.2 
			 2004 23.6 
			 2005 25.3 
			  Source: International Passenger Survey (ONS) 
		
	
	
		
			  Domestic overnight trips in England by year 
			  million 
			   Visits (all) 
			 1997 125.6 
			 1998 115.4 
			 1999 137.7 
			 2000 140.4 
			 2001 131.9 
			 2002 134.9 
			 2003 121.3 
			 2004 101.4 
			 2005 111.2 
			  Source: UK Tourism Survey (National Tourist Boards). The methodology for the UKTS changed in 2005 meaning that comparisons with previous years should be treated with caution. This change occurred due to concerns with the quality of 2004 data, which is thought to be an under-representation of the true position. 
		
	
	In addition, a substantial number of day visits are made to, or within, England. The last leisure day visits survey in 2002-03 recorded a total of over 900 million tourism day visits to destinations in England.

TV Licensing

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether TV Licensing shares information with any Government Departments or agencies.

Shaun Woodward: TV Licensing holds television licensing data as an agent for the BBC. The corporation has indicated TV Licensing does not share such information with any Government Department or agency. However there is discretion to release information in response to specific requests. Such information is released only if TV Licensing are satisfied that all relevant legal pre-conditions are met, including the requirements of the Human Rights Act 1998, the Data Protection Act 1998 and general administrative law principles.

TV Licensing

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport whether there is a legal requirement for a person to inform TV Licensing that they are changing address.

Shaun Woodward: There is no legal requirement for a person to inform TV Licensing of a change of address. However, a television licence covers the address specified in the licence. It is in the interests of the licence holder to inform TV Licensing of any change of address ensuring the television remains correctly licensed.

TV Licensing

Frank Cook: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what process TV Licensing uses to trace people who have moved and not informed TV Licensing.

Shaun Woodward: The BBC has statutory responsibility for the administration of the television licensing system and TV Licensing carries out the day-to-day administration under contract to the corporation. I have referred the question to the BBC's head of revenue management and asked him to reply directly. Copies of the reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

TV Local News

David Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what discussions she has had about the future of local news programmes on ITV following the changeover from analogue to digital television.

Shaun Woodward: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State has not had any recent discussions on this issue. However, the Government are committed to retaining a strong regional dimension to public service broadcasting, and we welcome the conclusion of Ofcom's review to maintain ITV1's regional news obligations.

UK Antarctic Heritage Trust

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will allocate funds to the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust for the purpose of preserving  (a) Shackleton's hut at Cape Royds and  (b) Scott's hut at Cape Evans in Antarctica.

David Lammy: In 2002, the Government, through the Government of the British Antarctic Territory, donated 70,000 to support the proposed Ross Sea heritage restoration project, developed by the New Zealand Antarctic Heritage Trust, to secure the long- term future of the historic huts of Captain Robert Falcon Scott and Sir Ernest Shackleton on Ross island, Antartica. There are, however, many domestic demands for protecting our heritage and insufficient funds to meet them. There is currently no further capacity to assist with overseas projects but we are continuing to explore with others what private funds might be available from British sources.

UK Film Council

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much has been spent by the UK Film Council in  (a) south-east England,  (b) Brighton and Hove and  (c) West Sussex in each of the last five years; and which projects have been supported.

Richard Caborn: The UK Film Council disperses a combination of Lottery and Grant In Aid (GIA) funding to each of the English regions through nine Regional Screen Agencies. Screen South is the agency tasked with supporting film activity in the south east of England. In each of the last five years the UK Film Council has invested in Screen South as follows:
	
		
			   
			   GIA  Lottery  Total 
			 2001-02 35,632 67,733 103,365 
			 2002-03 432,000 447,267 879,267 
			 2003-04 432,000 405,000 837,000 
			 2004-05 432,000 305,000 737,000 
			 2005-06 432,000 305,000 737,000 
		
	
	In each of the last five years Screen South has made lottery awards of:
	
		
			   Lottery awards () 
			 2001-02 n/a 
			 2002-03 256,671.65 
			 2003-04 260,836.00 
			 2004-05 244,025.11 
			 2005-06 242,440.00 
			  Note: Between 2001-02, the regional investment fund for England was being set up, hence the reason why we do not have any figures available for this period of time. 
		
	
	In addition, the difference between the lottery awarded to Screen South by UK Film Council and that given out by them can be accounted for by the time lag between funds being given by the UK Film Council and eventually drawn down by successful applicants to Screen South. It can also be attributed to the overheads of the organisation. The UK Film Council's lottery awards to Screen South provide the core funding for the organisation and enable it to attract and administer funds from a wide range of sources.
	Specifically, Screen South has invested in West Sussex as follows:
	
		
			   
			   GIA  Lottery  Total 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002-03  10,500 10,500 
			 2003-04  8,447 8,447 
			 2004-05  18,200 18,200 
			 2005-06  20,125 20,125 
		
	
	And in Brighton and Hove as follows:
	
		
			   
			   GIA  Lottery  Total 
			 2001-02 n/a n/a n/a 
			 2002-03 90,000 63,720 153,720 
			 2003-04 73,000 47,030 120,030 
			 2004-05 58,000 58,106 116,106 
			 2005-06 58,000 74,850 132,850 
		
	
	A detailed breakdown of the projects supported by Screen East in the south-east region and in Brighton and Hove and West Sussex is included with this response. It is important to note that Brighton and Hove is a cultural hub of the region, and that the density of awards made in this area reflects the concentration of film-making activity and film makers submitting applications. A short note is also included outlining the two projects receiving direct grant in aid investment.
	The UK Film Council has also made lottery awards, both directly and through its delegates Skillset and First Light, to organisations and film makers based in the South East. In each of the last five years these amounted to:
	In Brighton:
	
		
			   
			   Lottery awards 
			 2001-02 407,266.00 
			 2002-03 389,642.00 
			 2003-04 1,004,589.00 
			 2004-05 1,908,038.00 
		
	
	Beyond detailing the two projects in Brighton, which were individual and specific to the area, it has not been possible within the time or cost limit to analyse the regional impact of grant in aid funds. This is because such funds are invested in schemes and activities which take place across the region, or in the case of the British Film Institute, the whole of the UK.
	I am arranging for a detailed breakdown of the projects supported by this funding to be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

VisitBritain

Adrian Sanders: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what progress has been made in filling the position of chair at VisitBritain.

Tessa Jowell: A shortlist of high calibre has been agreed for interview later this month. Our aim is to make the appointment during the autumn.

Wembley National Stadium

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects Wembley National Stadium Limited next to make a profit.

Richard Caborn: Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL) is a private sector organisation. Issues relating to WNSL's financial status are matters for that organisation.

Wembley National Stadium

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what the estimated cost to  (a) the Brent economy and  (b) Wembley National Stadium Limited is of events cancelled due to the delayed opening of Wembley stadium.

Richard Caborn: Even before opening, the stadium development has been a catalyst for investment in the wider regeneration of Wembley. An improved transport system is now in place and, new shops, new leisure and community facilities and 8,500 new homes will also help to bring a major boost to the Brent economy.
	Once opened, around 7,500 permanent job opportunities will be created by economic activity directly related to the stadium. The stadium will attract around 2.5 million visitors a year, bringing an estimated annual visitor spend of 229 million to Wembley and the surrounding area.
	The estimated cost to Wembley National Stadium Ltd because of cancelled events is a matter for that organisation.

Wembley National Stadium

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how many events planned to take place at Wembley stadium have been cancelled due to its delayed construction.

Richard Caborn: The cancellation of events at Wembley stadium due to construction delays is a matter for Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL).
	In March 2006, WNSL announced publicly that no major events would be held at Wembley stadium in 2006. Details of the alternative arrangements made for scheduled events at Wembley in 2006 can be found on the WNSL website at www.wembleystadium.com/pressbox/pressreleases.htm.

Wembley National Stadium

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial penalties have been imposed on Multiplex due to the delayed construction of Wembley stadium.

Richard Caborn: Issues relating to the contractual arrangements between Multiplex and Wembley National Stadium Ltd in respect of the construction of Wembley stadium are matters for those organisations.

Wembley National Stadium

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what safety criteria tests Wembley stadium will be required to meet after its construction before it can receive a licence to stage major sporting events.

Richard Caborn: Wembley stadium needs to hold a sports ground safety certificate. The sports ground safety certificate for Wembley stadium will include conditions designed to ensure spectator safety at that ground.
	Conditions for the issue of a sports ground safety certificate are determined by the relevant certifying local authority following consultation with a number of expert organisations including local police and fire authorities.

Wembley National Stadium

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she last met representatives from  (a) Multiplex,  (b) Wembley National Stadium Limited and  (c) the Football Association to discuss the construction of Wembley stadium.

Richard Caborn: Wembley stadium is a Football Association project and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State therefore does not meet directly with Wembley National Stadium Ltd (WNSL), the Football Association (FA) or Multiplex to discuss construction progress.
	As a stakeholder in the project she receives regular reports on construction progress and DCMS officials attend monthly progress meetings with WNSL, the FA, Sport England and the London Development Agency.

CHURCH COMMISSIONERS

Pastoral Reorganisation

Philip Hollobone: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners if he will make a statement on pastoral reorganisation and the promotion of outreach work.

Stuart Bell: The commissioners administer the legal framework for pastoral reorganisation which enables effective deployment of the Church's resources. As part of our guidance on possibilities for pastoral provision we recently began a series of seminars to promote the Church's mission agenda and reach out with the gospel to a new generation.

Church Upkeep

Ben Chapman: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what recent discussions the commissioners have had with Ministers on the upkeep of churches and other places of worship.

Stuart Bell: We are frequently emphasising the importance of additional funds for the upkeep of places of worship, not only as important heritage buildings but also to support and enhance their substantial contribution to the life of our communities.

Equality

Chris Bryant: To ask the hon. Member for Middlesbrough, representing the Church Commissioners, what steps the commissioners plan to take to ensure there is no discrimination in the provision of their goods and services.

Stuart Bell: Like other Church bodies, the commissioners will be reviewing their activities and making necessary modifications to ensure that they comply with the new requirements to be introduced by the Equality Act 2006.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION COMMITTEE

Electoral Register

Greg Hands: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what guidance the Electoral Commission has produced on whether political parties may use the full version of the electoral register for  (a) party political fundraising purposes and  (b) survey canvassing.

Peter Viggers: The Electoral Commission informs me that it has not produced any guidance on whether political parties may use the full version of the electoral register for party political fundraising purposes or for survey canvassing.

Policy Development Grant

Greg Hands: To ask the hon. Member for Gosport, representing the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission what plans the Electoral Commission has to review the allocation of policy development grant following the 2005 general election results; and what the payment was to each eligible party in 2006-07.

Peter Viggers: Policy development grant (PDG) is payable by the Electoral Commission, in accordance with a scheme made by order of the Secretary of State following the submission of recommendations by the Commission, to registered parties which have at least two Members of the House of Commons who have taken the Oath and are not disqualified from sitting or voting in the House.
	The Commission is required to keep the terms of the scheme under review, and to make recommendations to the Secretary of State for any variation it considers appropriate. Following the 2005 general election, the Ulster Unionist party ceased to be eligible for PDG with effect from 1 April 2006 as it no longer had the requisite qualifying number of Members in the House. The Electoral Commission recommended a revised scheme to the Secretary of State which came into effect on 1 April 2006. Under the new scheme, the same overall sum as under the previous scheme is distributed between the seven remaining eligible parties.
	PDG is paid in arrears against claims submitted by eligible parties in respect of qualifying expenditure. The 2006-07 allocations and payments to date are:
	
		
			   
			  Party  2006-07 allocation  Total payments to date  Balance remaining 
			 Conservative and Unionist Party 457,997 223,934 234,063 
			 Democratic Unionist Party 155,786 64,666 91,120 
			 Labour Party 457,997 0 457,997 
			 Liberal Democrats 457,997 149,775 308,222 
			 Plaid Cymru 151,894 54,985 96,909 
			 Scottish National Party 162,542 117,774 44,769 
			 Social Democratic and Labour Party 155,786 0 155,786 
			 Total 1,999,999 611,135 1,388,864 
			  Note: All figures rounded to the nearest pound.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Admiralty House

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to public funds of his official residence in Admiralty house was in 2004-05.

John Prescott: The operation of Admiralty house is covered by a single facilities management contract. It is not possible to separately identify the actual costs of my flat from those of the building as a whole. However, for internal accounting purposes, costs are apportioned on the basis of the floor area of my flat as a proportion of the whole (at 20.7 per cent.). Figures for 2004-05 are already in the public domain.

Admiralty House

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether his flat in Admiralty house has ancillary staff paid for from public funds; and what the  (a) notional monthly market rent and  (b) estimated capital value of the flat is.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the right hon. Member for Maidenhead (Mrs. May) on 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1615W, and the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1636W.

Admiralty House

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what Government-owned works of art are located in his flat in Admiralty house.

John Prescott: A number of works of art from the Government art collection are on display in Ministers' official residences.

Admiralty House

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what the floor area is of his flat in Admiralty house;
	(2)  what minor works took place on his flat in Admiralty house in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman) on 25 October 2005,  Official Report, column 326W.

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when  (a) he and  (b) his officials have held meetings in the last 12 months with casino operators interested in securing licences under the Gambling Act 2005; where each meeting took place; and what was discussed.

John Prescott: I have not had any such meetings with casino operators, and neither have officials in my Office. For information relating to officials' meetings prior to Friday 5 May 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the answer which will be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Casinos

Malcolm Moss: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings he has had with casino operators and their associates since January 2003; and who the attendees were in each case.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1794W, to the hon. Member for Meriden (Mrs. Spelman).

Casinos

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what meetings he has had with  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials to discuss with his colleagues in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (i) the Government's policy on regional casinos, (ii) planning issues connected to regional casinos, (iii) the post-sale use of the millennium dome and (iv) gambling policy.

John Prescott: holding answer 12 July 2006
	I have regular meetings and discussions with ministerial colleagues and others on a wide range of subjects. Information relating to internal meetings, discussion and advice is not disclosed as to do so could harm the frankness and candour of internal discussion.

Council Tax

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether he has responsibilities for co-ordination of Government policy on council tax.

John Prescott: holding answer 17 July 2006
	Responsibility for policy relating to council tax rests with the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	The hon. Member may be aware that I chair the Cabinet Committee on Local and Regional Government. The Chair of a Cabinet Committee must act in a neutral way if the system is to work effectively. Departments' views are represented by their own Ministers who attend the meetings.

Departmental Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list for 2001-02 and each subsequent financial year the amount spent by his Office in respect of hotel and other similar privately provided accommodation (i) in the UK and (ii) abroad for  (a) himself,  (b) staff and  (c) other persons.

John Prescott: For information relating to the financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to answer which will be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Departmental Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the amount spent by his Office on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office for 2001-02 and each subsequent financial year.

John Prescott: For information relating to the financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06, I refer the hon. Member to answer which will be given by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government.

Donated Assets Reserve

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the gifts he has received in an official capacity that he  (a) has and  (b) has not retained since the last register of his Department's donated asset reserve.

John Prescott: The Government publishes an annual list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than 140, including details of which gifts were retained by Ministers personally. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Government Art Collection

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what art work he has selected from the Government art collection to decorate his office.

John Prescott: The Government art collection holds over 13,000 works of art in a broad range of media, with displays in several hundred major Government buildings in the UK and abroad.
	A 2001 painting by George Robson entitled Marching Out is on display in my office at 26 Whitehall.

Ministerial Meetings

Norman Baker: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the  (a) US Government officials and  (b) industry representatives he met during his recent visit to Texas and the USA.

John Prescott: holding answer 24 July 2006
	As is usual during an official visit abroad, I met and was introduced to a number of US Government officials and industry representatives while in the USA in 2005. These included Senator Mel Martinez, Secretary Alphonso Jackson, Assistant Secretary Buddy Garcia, Secretary of State Roger Williams, Speaker Andrew Romanoff, Mr. Michael Dell, Mr. Charles Carpenter, Dr. Henry Cisneros, Mayors Will Wynn, Phil Hardberger, John Hickenlooper and Antonio Villaraigosa.

Ministerial Meetings

Hugo Swire: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what telephone conversations he has had since 1997 with  (a) casino operators,  (b) Anschutz Entertainment Group,  (c) Mr. Anschutz and  (d) companies with interests in a casino licence in the UK; and what topics were discussed in each case.

John Prescott: Records of telephone conversations are not maintained.

Ministerial Meetings

Don Foster: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister when he has held meetings with representatives of companies or consortia on the shortlist for the contract as the Olympic Delivery Authority deliver partner; which companies or consortia partners he has met; what the location was of each meeting; what was discussed at each meeting; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: holding answer 24 July 2006
	I have not had any such meetings.

Ministerial Office and Staff

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Coventry South (Mr. Cunningham) of 21 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1875W, on departmental staff, how many of the staff enumerated in the answer provide support or assistance to him.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Brentwood (Mr. Pickles) of 21 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1867W, on his private office, which Government Department funds his private office;
	(2)  whether the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a Government Department.

Michael Gove: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  whether the new Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is a Government Department in its own right;
	(2)  in which Cabinet Office building or buildings the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister is located;
	(3)  how many full-time equivalent staff work in his Office;
	(4)  which other Government Departments are providing administrative and policy support to his new office; and how many full-time equivalent civil servants are providing such support;
	(5)  how many full-time equivalent staff provide support to his special advisers.

Oliver Heald: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who the accounting officer is for his Office.

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister how many full-time equivalent staff there are in his  (a) private office and  (b) secretariat.

John Prescott: I have been given a role by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister overseeing and co-ordinating Government policy across the full range of domestic policy areas through the Cabinet Committee system, and deputising for him at home and abroad, particularly in relation to China. To support me I have an office which will be called the Deputy Prime Minister's Office. It will be established as a separate Government Department and funded by a parliamentary vote for which my Office will apply shortly. My principal private secretary will be the accounting officer for the vote. At present, my Office employs 18 staff, including two special advisers. I also receive support and briefing from other Government Departments as necessary according to the issue I am dealing with at the time. Most of the staff employed by my Office are seconded from the Department for Communities and Local Government and their salary costs are met by my Office. My office continues to be based in 26 Whitehall.

Ministerial Visits

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost of his airfare for his recent visit to Finland was; with which airline he flew; how many officials accompanied him; and what the total cost to public funds was of the visitors  (a) including and  (b) excluding staff costs.

John Prescott: I visited Finland on behalf of my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister. All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library for the reference of Members. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500 and the total cost of ministerial overseas travel. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Ministerial Visits

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether public funds were used to provide him with transport during his recent visit to an American ranch; which public officials accompanied him; whether he was covered by insurance at public cost; whether he was briefed by officials; and if he will make a statement.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to my letter to the hon. Member for East Devon (Mr. Swire) of Tuesday 4 July, which is appended to the Memorandum from the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards to the Standards and Privileges Committee. The memorandum is available in the thirteenth report of the Standards and Privileges Committee which is available in the Library for the reference of Members.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code' and 'Travel by Ministers'. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500 as well as the total cost of ministerial overseas travel. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and is available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Ministerial Visits

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the cost to public funds was of his visit to the Mipim Property Development Conference in Cannes in 2005; and which hotel he stayed in.

John Prescott: holding answer 11 September 2006
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code and Travel by Ministers, copies of which are available in the Library. Since 1999, the Government have published on an annual basis a list of all overseas visits by Cabinet Ministers costing in excess of 500 and the total cost of ministerial overseas travel. Copies of the lists are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Ministerial Visits

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what  (a) hospitality and  (b) gifts he received in relation to his visit to the Mipim property development conference in Cannes in 2005.

John Prescott: Hospitality received by Ministers is declared in the Register of Members' Interests as appropriate. The Government publishes an annual list of gifts received by Ministers valued at more than 140, including details of which gifts were retained by Ministers personally. Information relating to 2005-06 was published on Monday 24 July and copies are available in the Library for the reference of Members.

Official Duties

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what official duties he undertook during the Prime Minister's recent absence abroad; and what official events he attended between 26 May and 2 June in his capacity as Deputy Prime Minister.

Peter Bone: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister whether there is a written protocol governing the transfer of responsibilities to him when the Prime Minister is absent due to illness or holiday.

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to deputise for the Prime Minister; and if he will make a statement.

John Hayes: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister 
	(1)  what his function and powers will be during the period for which he will assume the Prime Minister's responsibilities;
	(2)  what access he will have to nuclear strike command powers during the period for which he will assume the Prime Minister's responsibilities; what the procedure is for the release of the codes thereof; and what the chain of command will be.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Members to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister to the right hon. Member for Witney (Mr. Cameron) at Prime Minister's Questions on 12 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1384-85.

Official Duties

Greg Hands: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what plans he has to visit foreign countries in the next 12 months.

John Prescott: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to the hon. Member for Southend, West (Mr. Amess) on 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1994W.

Overseas Dignitaries (Gifts)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what gifts he has given to overseas dignitaries at public cost since becoming Deputy Prime Minister; and what the value of each was.

John Prescott: Ministers give gifts to foreign dignitaries as appropriate and in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

CONSTITUTIONAL AFFAIRS

Adoption and Children Act

Margaret Moran: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she will implement section 122 of the Adoption and Children Act 2002.

Harriet Harman: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statements of 11 January 2006,  Official Report, column 10WS, http://www.publications.parliament.uk /pa/cm200506/cmhansrd/vo060111/wmstext/60111m01 .htm and 23 March 2006,  Official Report, column 27WS, http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld199900/ldhansrd/pdvn/lds06/text/60232-41_head1 The date for implementation of rules under section 122, subsections 1(b) and 2, has not been decided but work is under way in this regard. In the meantime, existing provisions for the representation of children remain in force.

Asylum and Immigration Tribunal

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average cost to public funds was of an asylum and immigration tribunal appeal in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The average unit cost of an asylum and immigration tribunal appeal in the financial year 2005 to 2006, from receipt to final decision of the appeal, was 762.
	This figure represents the average unit cost of administration for all appeal types before the tribunal and includes judicial costs, accommodation and the cost of providing an interpreter at the appeal hearing where this is necessary.

Asylum and Immigration Tribunal

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer from the Minister for Nationality, Citizenship and Immigration of 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1742, what the average cost is of processing an asylum application appeal.

Bridget Prentice: The average unit cost of processing an asylum appeal at the asylum and immigration tribunal in the financial year 2005 to 2006, up to the final decision of the appeal, was 1,205.
	This figure represents the average unit cost of administration for asylum appeals before the tribunal and includes judicial costs, accommodation and the cost of providing an interpreter at the appeal hearing where this is necessary.

Benefit Appeal Hearings (Disabled People)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether provision exists to help people with disabilities to attend benefit appeal hearings.

Vera Baird: Appellants with disabilities can travel to their tribunal hearing by taxi, the cost of which will be met by the tribunals service. Arrangements can also be made to hear a tribunal at a person's home if they are unable to travel due to their disability.

Benefit Appeal Hearings (Disabled People)

Vincent Cable: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what provisions are in place to allow the postponement of appeal hearings in benefit cases when a disabled claimant does not have the resources to attend.

Vera Baird: Provisions exist to allow appellants or their representatives to request the postponement of appeal hearings but the decision to allow the postponement is a judicial decision. The tribunals service supports the attendance of appellants at appeal hearings and will reimburse travelling expenses where appropriate. Provisions are also in place to enable appellants to request a payment for travel in advance of the hearing to enable those that do not have the resources, to attend their appeal hearing.

Claims Management

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what progress has been made in developing proposals to regulate the claims management sector.

Bridget Prentice: The Compensation Act received Royal Assent on 25 July 2006 and the Department is now implementing the regulatory framework for claims management services. We have published consultation papers on the secondary legislation, conduct rules, application form and fees.
	A head of regulation (Mark Boleat) has been appointed to lead on the operation of the regulation and Staffordshire county council has been awarded the contract to run the Department's monitoring and compliance unit. A regulatory consultative group with representatives from the key industry organisations has been established to advise on the regulation. It is envisaged that the main regulatory mechanisms would be in place by the end of November 2006, when businesses will be invited to apply for authorisation. The offences and all other key provisions should be fully commenced by April 2007.

Community Legal Service Direct

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the adequacy of the proportion of cases brought to the attention of community legal service direct which are referred on by advisers.

Vera Baird: Onward referral is a matter for the judgment of these advisers who receive full training and guidance on exercising it.

Community Legal Service Direct

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans she is making for the implementation of assessments in relation to community legal service direct.

Vera Baird: The current contracts held between the Legal Services Commission (LSC) and community legal service direct specialist advisers terminate on 31 March 2007. The LSC is currently tendering for replacement contracts. One requirement of these revised contracts is that providers must achieve the Commission's preferred supplier status. This is subject to an assessment of advice provision, by the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (an independent organisation), resulting in a rating of category one (excellence) or two (competence plus).

Community Legal Service Direct

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many complaints have been lodged in relation to Community Legal Service Direct over the last 12 months.

Vera Baird: The number of complaints about Community Legal Service Direct, recorded by the Legal Services Commission over the last 12 months, is 24. This is comprised of six complaints about the website, eight about the directory, nine about the telephone service and one about printed materials.

Community Legal Service Direct

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what qualifications are required for telephone advisers to work for Community Legal Services Direct.

Vera Baird: The Legal Services Commission's contracts with Community Legal Service (CLS) Direct providers do not specify the qualifications that advisers must hold. CLS Direct supervisors must meet the Specialist Quality Mark standard for the category of law relevant to their post.

Consolidation Bill

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what criteria the Law Commission uses to select proposed consolidation Bills; what consultation is undertaken by the Law Commission prior to the introduction of a consolidation Bill; how  (a) hon. Members and  (b) members of the public may suggest issues for consolidation; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: In deciding whether to embark on a consolidation, the Law Commission will take into account a number of factors. These will include: the extent to which there has been pressure for a consolidation (either from within government or from other quarters), the size and complexity of the project, the departmental and Law Commission resources that would be available to prepare the consolidation and how likely it is that there will be further amending legislation before it is completed.
	The extent to which consultation is undertaken before a consolidation is introduced varies. As the consolidation is being prepared the Law Commission will consult regularly with the responsible Department and there may well be consultation with a number of other stakeholders. The current practice is that before the Bill is introduced it will be published for general consultation.
	Any person may suggest possible topics for inclusion in the Law Commission's consolidation programme at any time by writing to the Chief Executive at The Law Commission, Conquest House, 37-38 John Street, Theobalds Road, London WC1N 2BQ.

Contractual Obligations

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether the UK will opt out of implementing the European Commission's final proposal for a regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations.

Vera Baird: The European Commission's proposal for a regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) was published in December 2005. Under Article 1 of the Protocol in the EC Treaty dealing with the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in relation to Title IV measures (which covers Rome I), the UK had until 9 May 2006 formally to opt in to the negotiations on this proposal. In view of the UK's serious concerns about some aspects of this proposal the UK decided not to do so. This means that the UK will not automatically be bound by Rome I when it is finally adopted by the Council. Whether at some later stage, the UK will opt in to the adopted instrument (as it may do with the agreement of the European Commission) will depend upon the final text of the regulation. The UK is currently participating in the negotiations with a view to obtaining the best possible outcome for the UK.

Contractual Obligations

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the potential  (a) financial and  (b) economic impact on UK commercial businesses of the European Commission's final proposal for the implementation of a regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome 1); and what steps the Government are taking in response to Rome 1.

Vera Baird: Following the publication of the European Commission's proposal for a regulation on the law applicable to contractual obligations (Rome I) in December 2005 the Government consulted UK stakeholders with a view to informing the Government's decision as to whether to opt in to the proposed regulation. The responses received indicated that opting in to the proposed regulation on the basis of the proposed text could have significant adverse economic consequences for the UK and the EU. On this basis the Government decided not to opt into the Rome I regulation.
	Whether, ultimately, the UK will decide to opt in to the adopted instrument (as it may do with the agreement of the European Commission) will depend upon the final text of the regulation. Although unable to vote, the UK is currently participating fully in the negotiation of the text with a view to obtaining the best possible outcome for the UK.
	The Government are working closely with stakeholders regarding the financial and economic impact of the proposal and will continue to do so as the negotiations progress.

Correspondence

Clive Efford: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when the Lord Chancellor will respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Eltham of 31 May on Camberwell Youth Justice Court.

Harriet Harman: The Secretary of State and Lord Chancellor wrote to the hon. Member on 27 July in response to his letter of 31 May. I apologise for the delay.

Court Rules

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will place in the Library the responses to the consultation paper Draft Court Rules: Mental Capacity Act 2005 Court of Protection Rules [CP 10/06]; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: On Monday 17 July 2006, the Government published the consultation paper, Draft Court Rules: Mental Capacity Act 2005 Court of Protection Rules. The consultation will end on 6 October 2006. The Government aim to publish their response to the consultation within three months of the end of the consultation in line with Cabinet Office guidelines. Copies of the response will at that time be placed in the House Libraries. In line with DCA policy, it is not our intention to publish individual responses.
	Copies of the draft court rules consultation paper are available in English and Welsh.

Court Rules

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many copies of the consultation paper Draft Court Rules: Mental Capacity Act 2005 Court of Protection Rules were distributed by her Department; how much was spent on producing the consultation paper; to whom copies were sent; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: In total 134 copies of the consultation paper, Draft Court Rules: Mental Capacity Act 2005 Court of Protection Rules, have been sent to stakeholders with an interest in the new court of protection rules including members of the legal profession. Some of these copies have been sent following requests received post-publication. We have publicised the consultation in our regular mental capacity newsletter and it can be downloaded from the DCA website. There are also internet links to the Department of Health and Public Guardianship Office websites.
	The consultation paper has been produced and printed in-house so costs are not separately identifiable. The consultation period will run until 6 October 2006 and views are welcomed from anyone who would like to send in a response to the consultation.

Court Services

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what assessment she has made of the costs and benefits of combining the Dorset court service with the court services of Wiltshire and Gloucestershire; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: The reduction in HMCS areas from 42 to 25 has been subjected to an outline assessment and is expected to generate considerable cost savings and improvements in efficiency nationally. We do not have a breakdown of the costs and benefits on an area basis at present however this information will be available by 31 March 2007.

Departmental Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what average hourly rate her Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Harriet Harman: The Department has contracted with Kelly Services for the provision of agency staff since 2001. Prior to this date the Department did not have a national contract in place and therefore management information was not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	Information regarding the average rates of any other employment agencies used in the various parts of the Department is not held centrally, and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department uses agency staff to fill clerical staff vacancies that are urgently required, and where it has been difficult to recruit permanent staff through normal processes. The Department also uses agency staff to fill temporary positions.
	The following table provides average hourly rates for the years mentioned:
	
		
			  Kelly Services 
			
			 2001 10.85 
			 2002 11.03 
			 2003 11.33 
			 2004 11.49 
			 2005 11.73 
			 2006 11.20

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what estimate she has made of the total carbon emission from her Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Harriet Harman: My Department's estimated carbon emissions from 1997 are tabled as follows. The reduction in total carbon emissions between 1999-2000 and 2000-001 represents a change in method of reporting.
	
		
			   Emissions measured in tC 
			 1996-97 20.043 
			 1997-98 20.261 
			 1998-99 20.731 
			 1999-2000 19.093 
			 2000-01 12.800 
			 2002-03 12.200 
			 2003-04 13.200 
			 2004-05 14.300 
			 2005-06 15.000

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what child care  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to her Department's staff.

Bridget Prentice: My Department provides subsidised nursery places through the Buffer Bear network of nurseries, and three other regional nurseries. In addition to this, play schemes are provided during the school holidays at Westminster, Croydon, Liverpool, and Peterborough. My Department's child care provision supports parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children. Currently, approximately 70 parents are assisted and in 2004-05 the total cost of the support provided was 85,000.
	Flexible working arrangements are also provided which enable employees to achieve a positive balance between home and work responsibilities. The DCA was the first Government Department to establish a network for caring to support staff with caring responsibilities, and in recent years has won the opportunity now public sector award and the carers in employment employer of the year award in recognition of the extent to which it has embedded its flexible working policies and supports carers.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which of her Department's premises have child care facilities on site.

Bridget Prentice: My Department provides subsidised nursery places through the Buffer Bear network of nurseries and three other regional nurseries. There is currently no onsite provision. My Department's child care schemes support parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children. Currently approximately 70 parents are assisted and in 2004-05 the total cost of the support provided was 85,000.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which her Department provides for its employees.

Bridget Prentice: My Department provides subsidised nursery places through the Buffer Bear network of nurseries and three other regional nurseries. We operate individual waiting lists for each nursery. Currently the total number of people on the waiting lists is one. My Department's child care schemes support parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children. Currently approximately 70 parents are assisted, and in 2004-05 the total cost of the support provided was 85,000.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication her Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Harriet Harman: Copies of the list of publications my Department has issued since 1 July 2005 have been placed in the Libraries of the House.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Scotland of 22 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 2046-47W, on sickness absence, how many and what percentage of staff on loan to the Scotland Office from her Department have had more than two periods of sickness of less than five days in each of the last three years.

Harriet Harman: The DCA is responsible for maintaining absence data in respect of its staff working at the Scotland Office. Only a small percentage of the staff working at the Scotland Office is employed by DCA, the majority being employees of the Scottish Executive. Of those staff that are employed by DCA, 20 per cent. have been absent due to sickness for fewer than five days on more than two occasions in each of the last three years. In order to protect the identity of those members of staff, given that the 20 per cent. figure is based on a very small group of employees, it is not possible to provide details of the number of staff to whom this 20 per cent. relates.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 22 June 2006,  Official Report, column 2074W, on departmental staff, how many staff in her Department were disciplined as a result of poor sickness records in each of the last three years.

Bridget Prentice: The number of sickness absence days is recorded by the Department. However the way in which individual absences are managed is not recorded centrally. Managers are expected to manage all instances of employee absence appropriately, whether through rehabilitative or disciplinary channels, but are not required to report on the numbers of staff that are subject to either process. To obtain this information from managers would incur disproportionate costs.
	The Department remains committed to managing sickness absence effectively, and to ensuring that managers are equipped to carry out their responsibilities effectively in this arena.

Departmental Staff

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles her Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of her Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Harriet Harman: My Department does not participate in the cycle-to-work scheme nor do we currently offer any tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles. Therefore no staff have purchased bicycles through such a scheme in 2005-06. However, we are currently undertaking a Department-wide review of pay and grading and it is possible that the cycle-to-work scheme will be considered as part of that review. The Department currently offers staff the facility of an interest-free loan to purchase a bicycle.

Disability Living Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many individuals were successful in their appeals for the payment of disability living allowance at medical appeal tribunals in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2005.

Vera Baird: The information you have asked for is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: Great Britain, number of successful appeals for disability living allowance, January 2003 to December 2005 
			  January to December each year  Appeals cleared in favour of appellant 
			 2003 36,850 
			 2004 38,170 
			 2005 35,900 
			  Notes:  1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available.  2. Cases transferred onto the new appeals system G2 may not have been updated on GAPS.  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  4. These data are drawn from management information and should not be used in conjunction with simple statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems.  Source:  100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System  (2 October 2006).

Disability Living Allowance

John Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many individuals diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome were successful in appealing against disqualification from disability living allowance in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2005.

Vera Baird: The information you have asked for is contained in the following table:
	
		
			  Table 1: DLA new claims, with disabling condition recorded as Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, successful at the Appeal stage, 2003, 2004 and 2005 
			   Caseload 
			 2003 600 
			 2004 900 
			 2005 800 
			  Notes: 1. Figures are from the 5 per cent. sample data and therefore subject to sampling variation. 2. Data are rated in line with WPLS figures then rounded to the nearest 100.  These data are from sample statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems and should not be used in conjunction with the data from the Generic Appeals System (GAPS) data.  Source:  100 per cent. WPLS data and 5 per cent. sample data.

Electoral Register

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what guidance the Government have issued on whether political parties may use the full version of the electoral register for  (a) party political fundraising purposes and  (b) survey canvassing.

Bridget Prentice: The Representation of the People Regulations 2002 enables political parties to be supplied with a copy of the full electoral register. The full electoral register can then be used by the political party for electoral purposes and in complying with the controls on donations as stated in the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. The Government have not issued guidance on this issue.

Freedom of Information Act

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what triggers lead to a Freedom of Information Act request to a Government Department being sent to the Department's clearing house.

Harriet Harman: My Department has published a clearing house toolkit, an annexe to which contains a list of triggers for referring cases to the clearing house. This document is located on the DCA website at http://www.foi.gov.uk/guidance/pdf/annex-b.pdf.

Freedom of Information Act

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what plans the National Archives has to revise records information leaflet No 14 on family history in England and Wales to include guidance about the procedure for applying for copies of extracts from the 1911 or 1921 censuses under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Vera Baird: Guidance for making Freedom of Information requests for information from any records in the custody of the National Archives including 1911, can be found in their publication scheme:
	http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documents/access_rights.pdf
	The 1921 census is in the custody of the Office for National Statistics and not of the National Archives.

Fundamental Rights Agency

Graham Brady: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to her statement in Prospects for the EU in 2006 (Cm 6896), what role the Government envisages for the Fundamental Rights Agency which would not conflict with the Council of Europe's activities; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: The Government consider that the agency should concentrate upon the areas in which it has the greatest potential relevance and utility without duplicating the work carried out by the Council of Europe. Its primary purpose (building upon the mandate of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia) should be as a fact-finding and opinion-giving body able to deal with fundamental rights issues in community law. The Council of Europe will appoint an independent person to the agency's management board to ensure there will not be any overlap between the agency and the Council of Europe. In carrying out its tasks, the agency will refer to the work of the Council of Europe and the Commissioner for Human Rights. A memorandum of understanding is also being negotiated between the European Commission and the Council of Europe to set out the terms of co-operation between the agency and the Council of Europe.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what input  (a) her Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report 'Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement'.

Harriet Harman: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer given by my right hon. Friend the Member for East Ham (Mr. Timms), Question number 89473

Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will use her powers to designate the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government as a public authority for the purposes of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

Harriet Harman: We are still considering the impact of the Freedom of Information Act 2000 on public bodies covered by the legislation and have not yet reached a view on the use of the power contained in section 5 of the Act which provides for extension of coverage. I am therefore not able to comment on whether the Improvement and Development Agency for Local Government is likely to be a designated as a public authority for the purposes of the Act.

Irish Language

Iris Robinson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many requests for court cases in Northern Ireland to be heard in the Irish language there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Bridget Prentice: Between the years 1996 to 2005 there is no record of any request for a court case in Northern Ireland to be heard in the Irish language.
	There is currently a case before Belfast magistrates court in which there has been application for use of the Irish language in those proceedings. This application is currently subject to legal submission

Judges' Powers

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which stakeholders have made representations in favour of the Government's proposals to give judges the power to order the withdrawal of a defendant's solicitor or barrister from certain trials.

Vera Baird: The consultation on 'Proposals to create judicial powers to manage conflict of interest and capacity issues in very high cost cases' concludes on 27 October 2006. We shall publish our summary of consultation responses at the beginning of November. It will include a full list of all those who have responded and a summary of the responses received. It will be available on the DCA's website and copies will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Lasting Powers of Attorney

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs if she will place in the Library the responses to the consultation paper on lasting powers of attorney; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: On Monday 17 July 2006 the Government published its response to the consultation on lasting powers of attorney. Copies of the Government response were placed in the House Libraries on the same day.
	The Department wants to give as many interested parties as possible the opportunity to see our response to the consultation. We have therefore produced copies in English and Welsh versions, as well as producing easy read information on the Government response to the consultation.

Law Society

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs which solicitors have been found guilty of breaching Law Society regulations following Law Society investigations in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006; and how many of these decisions have been made public.

Bridget Prentice: The Law Society has provided the following information.
	In 2005, 527 solicitors were subject to an internal sanction (reprimand or severe reprimand by the Law Society adjudication panel). 211 solicitors were subject to orders of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal (SDT) following prosecutions brought by the society.
	In 2006, to the 30 September, 435 solicitors were subject to an internal sanction, 141 solicitors have been made the subject of an order of the SDT.
	Internal sanctions imposed on solicitors are disclosed to the parties involved but are not made public.
	Orders of the SDT are a matter of public record. A list of solicitors who received sanctions from the SDT is available from the Law Society.

Legal Aid

Andrew Turner: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many recipients of legal aid have been required to make repayments in total  (a) before and  (b) after the conclusion of proceedings in the most recent year for which information is available.

Vera Baird: In civil proceedings funded by the community legal service (CLS), during 2005-06, 7,685 legal aid certificates were revoked. These actions require those to whom the certificates were issued to pay the Legal Services Commission (LSC) the value of the work carried out under the certificate. Two thirds of those certificates were revoked before the proceedings had been completed, and one third after.(1)
	Additionally, during 2005-06 17,854 cases closed in circumstances that require the legally aided client to repay the costs to the CLS back to the LSC. This happens in successful cases where the value of money or property agreed to be paid to the client exceeds the money paid from the CLS.
	In criminal cases funded by the criminal defence service (CDS), during 2005-06 there were 398 recovery of defence costs orders (RDCOs) issued to criminal defendants after the case had concluded.
	(1 )This is an estimate based on the number of cases reported to the LSC. Not all cases have been reported.

Legal Aid

Si�n James: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what criteria are used to determine access to legal aid; and if she will make a statement.

Vera Baird: Civil legal aid is available to anyone who qualifies, provided that the case is within the scope of the scheme. Each application is assessed on an individual basis, and is subject to statutory tests of the applicant's financial means and the merits of the case.
	Criminal legal advice and assistance is freely available to individuals detained at police stations. To qualify for publicly funded representation at magistrates courts, defendants must satisfy both the interests of justice test as well as a new financial eligibility test introduced by the Criminal Defence Service Act 2006. Publicly funded representation at the Crown court depends on the defendant meeting the interests of justice test.

Medical Appeal Tribunals

John Robertson: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many medical appeal tribunals were held in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2005.

Vera Baird: The information you have asked for is contained in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table 1: Appeals received for AA, DLA IIDB, IB and SDA, January 2003 to December 2005 
			  January to December each year  AA  DLA  IIDB  SDA  IB  Total 
			 2003 9,910 83,590 17,160 470 63,220 174,340 
			 2004 8,680 87,180 12,910 260 61,530 170,550 
			 2005 7,340 82,230 11,810 210 65,150 166,740 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Appeals cleared at hearing for AA, DLA, IIDB, IB and SDA, January 2003 to December 2005 
			  January to December each year  AA  DLA  IIDB  SDA  IB  Total 
			 2003 7,720 69,850 14,810 460 46,480 139,310 
			 2004 6,990 75,080 10,960 240 45,760 139,020 
			 2005 5,670 71,370 9,480 170 48,750 135,440 
			  Notes:  1. All figures are subject to change as more up to date data become available.  2. Cases transferred onto the new appeals system G2 may not have been updated on GAPS.  3. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  4. Totals may not sum due to rounding. 5. These data are drawn from management information and should not be used in conjunction with sample statistics drawn from the benefit administration systems.   Source:  100 per cent. download of the Generic Appeals Processing System (4 October 2006).

Mental Capacity Act

David Amess: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs with which organisations known by her Department to be opposed to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 she has had recent discussions; and if she will make a statement.

Harriet Harman: We have completed two public consultations in the last few months on lasting powers of attorney and the draft code of practice and received responses from a variety of interest groups and individuals with a range of views and expertise.
	Officials in the DCA continue to work with stakeholders across the spectrum of views through discussion, correspondence and stakeholder events.

Election Registers

Greg Hands: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Bassetlaw (John Mann) of 11 May 2006,  Official Report, column 458W, on election registers, how many general election marked registers were found to be  (a) incomplete and  (b) partly missing in the (i) six and (ii) nine months after the 2005 general election.

Bridget Prentice: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to the hon. Member for Hornsey and Wood Green (Lynne Featherstone) on 30 November 2005,  Official Report, column 641W, and 8 May 2006,  Official Report, column 108W.

1901 Census

Mike Hancock: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 931W, on the 1901 census, how much revenue was received in the first 12 months after the release of the 1901 census in January 2002; what estimate has been made of the potential revenue earnings following the release of the 1911 Census; and if she will make a statement.

Bridget Prentice: In the calendar year from January 2002, gross revenue of 2 million was received for the 1901 online service by the appointed supplier.
	The National Archives is in early discussions with potential suppliers for the development of a 1911 census online service. Potential revenue from the 1911 census online service is a matter to be judged by potential suppliers as part of their commercial decision.

Personal Data

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs 
	(1)  which individuals and organisations have been consulted in relation to her Department's consultation 'Increasing Penalties for Deliberate and Wilful Misuse of Personal Data';
	(2)  what progress has been made with her Department's consultation, 'Increasing penalties for deliberate and wilful misuse of personal data'.

Vera Baird: A list of those organisations who have been consulted on the Department's public consultation on 'Increasing penalties for deliberate and wilful misuse of personal data' is shown on pages 7 to 9 of the consultation paper. However, this list is not meant to be exhaustive or exclusive and responses are welcomed from anyone with an interest or views on the subject covered in the paper.
	The document may be accessed via the Department's website at http://www.dca.gov.uk/consult/misuse_data/consultation0906.pdf
	The consultation paper was launched in July 2006 and will close on 30 October when all responses will be considered.

Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many non-legal professionals sat as members of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal in 2005.

Bridget Prentice: 12 non-legal professionals sat as members of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal hearings in 2005.

Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs when she last discussed with officials the length of time taken to call meetings of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal.

Bridget Prentice: As Minister with delegated responsibility for legal services, I regularly meet with officials of the Law Society. The length of time taken to call meetings of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal was raised at a meeting I had with Law Society officials in March of this year. DCA officials also regularly update me and have regular contact with the Law Society.

Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many meetings of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal were held in 2005; and how many individual members participated at each meeting.

Bridget Prentice: For the year 1 May 2005 to 30 April 2006, the solicitor's disciplinary tribunal (SDT) sat on 136 days for the hearing of applications. Each tribunal consists of three members in total, two of whom are solicitor members and one of whom is a lay member.

Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what the average time was between a Law Society adjudication and a hearing of the solicitors disciplinary tribunal in the latest period for which figures are available.

Bridget Prentice: The Law Society does not maintain statistics on the time between a Law Society adjudication and the solicitors disciplinary tribunal hearing. As far as the SDT is concerned, a case starts with the lodgement of an application. A survey of all cases heard to the year ending April 2006, shows that 26 per cent. were concluded within six months of being placed before the SDT. A further 68 per cent. were concluded between six months and a year.

Solicitors

John Mann: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many solicitors breached solicitors practice rules 1990 in each of the last four years.

Bridget Prentice: The Law Society does not maintain statistics on the basis of whether the misconduct alleged was a breach of the practice rules or of other regulations. It does keep statistics on solicitors who have been subject to sanctions by the Law Society and the solicitors disciplinary tribunal.
	The number of solicitors subject to a penalty by the solicitors disciplinary tribunal in the last four years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			 2006 (To date) 141 
			 2005 211 
			 2004 236 
			 2003 232

Translation Services

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many court cases have been dismissed in each of the last five years as a result of the lack of translation services.

Harriet Harman: The information requested is not collected. Her Majesty's Courts Service is giving consideration to the routine collection of data relating to interpreting and translation services used in court.

Translation Services

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what translation services are provided during court cases where some or all of those involved do not speak English.

Harriet Harman: Interpreting services at court are provided in accordance with article 6(3) of the European convention on human rights whereby anyone charged with a criminal offence is entitled to the free assistance of an interpreter if they cannot understand or speak the language used in court. Witnesses giving evidence for either the prosecution or defence are also provided with an interpreter if required. The national agreement on arrangements for the attendance of interpreters in investigations and proceedings within the criminal justice system governs interpreting and translation services and was reissued on 6 July 2006 as Home Office circular 17/2006.

Translation Services

Michael Weir: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs on how many occasions translation services were provided in courts in the most recent year for which records are available, broken down by  (a) court and  (b) language requiring translation.

Harriet Harman: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost. Her Majesty's Courts Service is giving consideration to the routine collection of data relating to interpreting and translation services used in court.

Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what arrangements are in place to ensure that attendance allowance appeal tribunals in Wales may be held in English and Welsh.

Vera Baird: Tribunals in Wales are normally heard in English. The tribunals service can arrange for tribunal hearings for all social security benefits, including attendance allowance, to be held in Welsh and where this is requested, will provide bilingual tribunal panel members and clerks at a venue closest to the appellant.

Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many attendance allowance appeal tribunal hearings in Wales were held in English and Welsh in each of the last three years.

Vera Baird: The information requested is not collected centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Welsh Language

Hywel Williams: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs how many attendance allowance appeal tribunal members in Wales speak English and Welsh.

Vera Baird: There are 14 Welsh speaking tribunal panel members that are qualified to sit on attendance allowance tribunals.

SCOTLAND

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office does not record the information in the form requested.

Child Poverty

Willie Rennie: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many children were living in poverty in  (a) Scotland and  (b) Dunfermline and West Fife in each year since 1997.

David Cairns: The following table presents the number and proportion of children living in low- income households in Scotland from 1996-97 to 2004-05. The relative low-income measure compares against the median of the same year. The absolute measure compares against the median in the baseline year of 1996-97, uprated to remove the effects of inflation. Data are available at Scotland level only, not by constituency.
	Figures are produced annually and estimates for 2005-06 are not yet available.
	
		
			  Proportion and number of children in low income households, below 60 per cent. of GB Median Income 
			   Absolute  Relative 
			   Before housing costs  After housing costs  Before Housing Costs  After Housing Costs 
			   Percentage  Number (Thousand)  Percentage  Number (Thousand)  Percentage  Number (Thousand)  Percentage  Number (Thousand) 
			 1996-97 29 320 33 370 29 320 33 370 
			 1997-98 27 300 30 330 29 310 30 330 
			 1998-99 25 270 29 310 27 290 30 320 
			 1999-00 22 230 26 280 26 280 30 330 
			 2000-01 18 190 21 220 24 250 29 310 
			 2001-02 14 150 17 170 25 260 30 320 
			 2002-03 13 130 16 170 23 240 26 280 
			 2003-04 11 110 15 160 22 220 25 260 
			 2004-05 10 100 13 130 19 190 23 240

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what estimate he has made of the total carbon emissions from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and its energy usage has since 2003 been included in DCA returns. Prior to 2003 the information was not collected as there was no requirement to report.

Departmental Expenditure

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how much  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies spent on (i) electricity use and (ii) water and sewerage services in each year since 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999; since that date the Office has spent the following on electricity use and wager and sewage.
	
		
			() 
			   Electricity  Water and Sewage 
			 1999-2000(1) 11,855 1,067 
			 2000-01 22,807 3,656 
			 2001-02 19,526 4,221 
			 2002-03 28,439 7,018 
			 2003-04 23,703 11,699 
			 2004-05 23,372 13,666 
			 2005-06 21,650 9,867 
			 (1) Part year

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office issued the following publication between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2006:
	 The Scotland Office and Office of the Advocate General for Scotland: Annual Report 2005
	Number of copies: 150
	Cost: 3,239

Dover House

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he operates a private office in Dover house.

David Cairns: Yes.

Engagements

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he last met the Scottish First Minister; and what subjects were discussed.

David Cairns: Ministers have regular dialogues with ministerial colleagues in the Scottish Executive, discussing a wide range of issues of mutual interest. It is not the practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what input  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report, Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given today by my right hon. Friend, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Mr. Timms).

Local Government Finance

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether  (a) council tax (i) revaluation and (ii) rebanding,  (b) the introduction of a local income tax,  (c) the introduction of new council tax discounts and  (d) land value taxation in Scotland would require primary legislation in the UK Parliament.

David Cairns: It is not possible to determine whether something might or might not be within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament without sight of the detailed provisions of a proposed bill. However, schedule 5 to the Scotland Act identifies local taxes to fund local authority expenditure as being exempt from the reservation applying to fiscal policy.

Local Government Finance

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what submissions Government (a) Ministers, (b) Departments and (c) Agencies in Westminster have made to the Scottish local government review committee.

David Cairns: This matter is devolvedschedule 5 to the Scotland Act identifies local taxes to fund local authority expenditure as being exempt from the reservation applying to fiscal policy. Furthermore, the Scottish local government finance review committee is, in turn, wholly independent of Scottish Ministers although information about respondents to the committee's consultation exercises can be found on its website at www.localgovernmentfinancereview.org.

Sewel Convention

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland when he will give his response to the Scottish Affairs Committee's report on The Sewel Convention: the Westminster Perspective (HC 983).

David Cairns: The Government submitted their response to the Scottish Affairs Committee report on The Sewel Convention: the Westminster Perspective on 20 July 2006.

Sustainability

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland what proportion of electricity used by buildings in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies came from renewable sources in each year from 1997.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office was established on 1 July 1999 and its energy usage has since 2003 been included in DCA's annual returns on total energy usage across the DCA estate. Prior to 2003 the information was not collected as there was no requirement to report. The Scotland Office does not have any agencies.

Video Conferencing

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland how many video conferencing units are installed in  (a) his Department and  (b) each agency of the Department; what percentage of offices have these facilities in each case; and what plans there are to increase this proportion.

David Cairns: The Scotland Office has video conferencing facilities in its Edinburgh and London offices and has no plans to expand this provision.

Watermark Project

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department has joined the Watermark project.

David Cairns: As funding for the Watermark project has now finished, Departments are responsible for collecting and monitoring water data. Water usage at all sites across the DCA, including the Scotland Office, is monitored and reported upon annually within the Department's response to the sustainable development in government annual report.

SOLICITOR-GENERAL

Crown Prosecution Service

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General who in the Crown Prosecution Service is responsible for progress on each of the targets set out on pages 9 to 17 of the Crown Prosecution Service annual report 2005-06; to whom each person reports; what discussions he has had with stakeholders about implementation of each target; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The public service agreement (PSA) targets for SR2004 and SR2002 are set out on pages 9 to 16 of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) annual report  resource accounts 2005-06. Page 17 details the progress against CPS targets.
	The director of business development has responsibility for increasing the number of offences brought to justice, and the director of finance has responsibility for improving public confidence, delivering efficiencies and value for money. Both report to the chief executive. CPS performance is the responsibility of all headquarters directors.
	Regular consultation on the PSA and criminal justice system (CJS) targets is conducted with CJS colleagues and other stakeholders through the work of the National Criminal Justice Board. The Attorney-General, myself, the director of public prosecutions and the chief executive are all members of the National Criminal Justice Board, and play a full and positive part in its work. CPS targets are discussed by the CPS board and compliment the PSA and CJS targets.

Crown Prosecution Service

David Amess: To ask the Solicitor-General how many copies of the Crown Prosecution Service annual report 2005-06 were produced; at what cost; to whom copies were sent; at what cost; who was consulted prior to publication; and if he will make a statement.

Mike O'Brien: The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) annual report and resource accounts 2005-06 were published on 18 July 2006.
	The report cost a total of 22,405.95 which included the receipt of 3,000 reports. Copies of the report were distributed throughout the service's 42 geographical areas in England and Wales and copies were sent to other Government Departments and the CPS's criminal justice system (CJS) partners. Chief Crown prosecutors will have distributed copies to key local partners in their own criminal justice area; to members of their local communities; to visitors of CPS offices; and as part of local publicity or careers activity.
	The report is also available on the CPS website www.cps.gov.uk and hard copy through the Stationary Office at a cover price of 19.50.
	The Attorney-General's Office and other CJS departments are consulted prior to publication.

Crown Prosecution Service

John Leech: To ask the Solicitor-General how many staff work for the Manchester city crown prosecution service (CPS); and how many staff were employed by the Manchester city CPS on the same date in 2005.

Mike O'Brien: On 30 September 2006, there were 124 staff in post in the city of Manchester branch and on the same date in 2005 there were 128.4.

DUCHY OF LANCASTER

Charities Bill

Colin Challen: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster whether eligibility criteria in the Charities Bill will ensure that organisations advancing humanism may seek registration as a charity.

Edward Miliband: Yes. Under the current law organisations advancing humanism can be charities. The British Humanist Association has been registered as a charity since 1983. The Charities Bill will preserve the charitable status of existing humanist charities and will allow new humanist organisations to seek registration as charities.

Civil Service Pensions

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the cost has been since 1997 of index-linking civil servants' pensions.

Patrick McFadden: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

David Simpson: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006,  Official Report, column 820W, on departmental staff, how staff with an unsatisfactory performance were monitored prior to 1 June 2005.

Patrick McFadden: The change that took place to my Department's performance management procedures on Wednesday 1 June 2005 only related to the record- keeping process. From that date, detailed central records of all unsatisfactory performance cases were introduced. The policies and procedures for managing poor performance remain the same. Previously central records were only maintained in cases where staff who received an unsatisfactory report failed to improve and were subsequently dismissed. Where unsatisfactory performers achieved the required improvement, managers handled the case locally. For this reason, information on the total number of staff who received unsatisfactory reports is only available from Wednesday 1 June 2005.

Labour Party Employees (Whitehall Departments)

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many  (a) paid and  (b) unpaid employees of the Labour party are (i) located in and (ii) seconded to Whitehall Departments.

Hilary Armstrong: With the exception of the political office in No. 10, where the position reflects long-standing practice under successive administrations, there are no Labour party employees, paid or unpaid, located in or seconded to this Department. Information about the employment status of individuals employed or seconded into Government Departments is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Public Bodies

Bob Spink: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster 
	(1)  if she will list the non-departmental public bodies in the eastern region; and what the total budget is of each in 2006-07;
	(2)  how many people are on the board of more than one non-departmental public body in the eastern region; and what their total remuneration and expenses are for each board.

Patrick McFadden: Information on public bodies sponsored by central Government, as at 31 March each year, is provided annually in the Cabinet Office publication Public Bodies. Information for the period as at 31 March 2006 was published on 11 September 2006,  Official Report, column 109WS. The 2006 edition provides details of Government funding and expenditure in 2005-06. The detailed information required in respect of non-departmental public bodies in the eastern region is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Public Sector Information

Don Foster: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, at what times of day public information programmes have been scheduled in each of the past three years.

Patrick McFadden: pursuant to the reply, 14 June 2006, Official Report, c. 1247-48W
	I regret that the figure given for the number of night time transmissions in the table showing the broadcast television ratios of public information films for the period April 2003 to March 2004 was incorrect. The figure given was 4,261.
	The correct information is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  April 2003 to March 2004 
			  Time  Percentage of films shown  Number of transmissions 
			 Breakfast (6.00-9.29) 14 14,705 
			 Morning (9.30-11.59) 10 10,938 
			 Afternoon (12.00-17.14) 16 17,107 
			 Evening (17.15-23.59) 18 19,045 
			 Night time (00.01-5.59 40 42,611

Public Sector Information

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what action may be taken against public sector information holders who breach the information fair trade scheme guidelines.

Edward Miliband: holding answer 11 September 2006
	Most major public sector information holders within Government operate under a delegation of authority from the Controller of Her Majesty's Stationary Office to license the re-use of the information they hold. Their compliance with the delegation is regulated by the information fair trader scheme. Where non-compliance is found an action plan will be agreed to implement the recommendations in the information fair trade scheme (IFTS) report. The Office of Public Sector Information will work closely with the IFTS member to action the recommendations and monitor implementation. If the plan is not implemented within agreed timescales then ultimately it is open to the controller to withdraw the delegation of authority.

Public Sector Information

Mark Todd: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will commission a study of the terms and conditions  (a) offered by public sector information holders to external licensees and  (b) by public sector information holders applied to products and services and subsequently sold in equivalent markets.

Edward Miliband: The Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) is responsible for licensing the re-use of Crown copyright information and certain categories of Public Sector Information. We do this via our online Click-Use Licence systemhttp://www.opsi.gov.uk/click-use/index.htm.
	Anyone wishing to re-use the material covered by any of the Click-Use Licences has to register for a user account and then apply for the licence(s) they require. Since its launch in 2001, the Click-Use Licence has proved very successful with over 10,000 licences taken out by re-users of public sector information.
	OPSI recently extended the Click-Use Licence beyond central Government to the wider public sector, including Government and the health service. This new PSI Click-Use Licence is a no-charge online licence and will enable re-users to re-use a wide range of public sector information under the one licence.
	OPSI conduct reviews on the licence terms and conditions used by public sector information holders as a key part of the verification process under the Information Fair Trade Scheme. The reviews are conducted either annually or every two years depending on the level of information trading carried out by the organisation in question. Given these initiatives the Government do not believe it is necessary to commission any further studies into the subject at this stage.

Social Enterprise

Alan Duncan: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster if she will make a statement on Government support for social enterprise.

Edward Miliband: The Government have introduced a number of measures to enable social enterprises to prosper. In 2002 a strategy for social enterprise was published to help create a dynamic and sustainable social enterprise sector and to tackle barriers to growth of the sector.
	The strategy has led to a number of significant developments for the sector, including the creation of the community interest company legal form, funding for the establishment of the social enterprise coalition and improvements to the financing environment, including the multi-million pound Futurebuilders Fund.
	However, we have further to go in creating an environment in which social enterprises thrive. The next steps will be outlined in the Social Enterprise Action Plan, which will be published later this year.

Social Exclusion Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what the work programme is of the Social Exclusion Unit and what work the Social Exclusion Unit has undertaken with the Strategy Unit.

Hilary Armstrong: holding answer 18 September 2006
	The Social Exclusion Taskforce, which comprises staff both from the former Social Exclusion Unit and the Prime Minister's Strategy Unit, has been supporting me in developing 'Reaching Out: An Action Plan on Social Exclusion' which was published on 11 September. The Social Exclusion Taskforce is now following up the actions set out in that plan.

Social Exclusion Unit

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster how many civil servants worked in the Social Exclusion Unit in each year since 1997; and what the budget was of the Social Exclusion Unit in each year.

Hilary Armstrong: holding answer 18 September 2006
	Staff figures for civil servants only are not available for the Social Exclusion Unit. However, total headcount, which includes seconded and casual staff, is shown in the table.
	
		
			   Total headcount 
			 1997 12 
			 1998 21 
			 1999 35 
			 2000 43 
			 2001 47 
			 2002 57 
			 2003 59 
			 2004 62 
			 2005 66 
			 2006 47 
			  Note:  All figures include staff on loan and secondment 
		
	
	For details of the Social Exclusion Unit's expenditure since 1997, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by my hon. Friend, the Minister for Local Government (Mr. Woolas), on 8 May 2006,  Official Report, column 94W.

HOUSE OF COMMONS COMMISSION

Commons Knowledge

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many copies of Commons Knowledge are produced each week; at what cost; how  (a) hon. Members and  (b) members of the public can (i) obtain copies and (ii) be added to a circulation list; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: Commons Knowledge is a weekly newsletter setting out the forthcoming business of the House and is primarily designed for visitors to Parliament. It was initiated in response to a recommendation of the Modernisation Committee and endorsed by the House of Commons Commission.
	Approximately 450 copies are produced each week, at a cost of 94 (or 21p per copy), and distributed to key public access locations such as Central Lobby, the Public Gallery, the Committee Corridor, the Parliamentary Bookshop and the Press Gallery. Members of the public can also access an electronic version which is published on the parliamentary website in PDF format. In addition, users of the website can subscribe to an email alert service that will notify them of changes to selected aspects of the website, including Commons Knowledge.
	From the start of the next Session, Commons Knowledge will change its name to This Week's Business and copies will be made available from the Vote Office for the convenience of Members.

House Staff

Sarah Teather: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many staff were employed by the House in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) ethnicity and  (b) sex.

Nick Harvey: The numbers of staff by ethnicity and sex at 31 March in each year was as follows:
	
		
			   Ethnicity  Sex 
			   Total  White  Asian  Black  Other  Unknown  Male  Female 
			 2006 1,627 1,286 91 161 48 41 866 761 
			 2005 1,571 1,256 94 154 34 33 861 710 
			 2004 1,520 1,085 79 138 36 182 811 709 
			 2003 1,497 1,157 50 129 16 145 797 700 
			 2002 1,443 1,081 40 95 16 211 762 681 
			 2001 1,485 1,089 47 110 13 226 836 649 
			 2000 1,421 1,043 44 105 11 218 760 661 
			 1999 1,394 968 30 71 5 320 744 650 
			 1998 1,392 986 26 72 10 298 755 637 
			 1997 1,405 967 27 69 9 333 791 614

Network Security

Margaret Moran: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission how many attempts have been made to breach the security of the Parliamentary Communications Directorate's network in each of the last five years; and how many of these were successful.

Nick Harvey: As a matter of policy the House authorities (and Commission) do not comment on specific matters relating to ICT security.

Parliamentary Papers

David Amess: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission if the Commission will arrange for forthcoming House of Lords papers to be added to the Vote Office new papers list on the parliamentary intranet; and if he will make a statement.

Nick Harvey: I understand that the Deliverer of the Vote will do so from the beginning of the new Session of Parliament on 15 November 2006.

Recycling

Andrew Selous: To ask the hon. Member for North Devon, representing the House of Commons Commission what steps the House authorities are taking to ensure that printer cartridges from Parliamentary Information and Communications Technology supplied printers can be easily recycled by hon. Members and staff.

Nick Harvey: The unified Parliamentary ICT service (PICT) came into existence in January 2006 and provides services to both the House of Commons and the House of Lords. All printers supplied by PICT have cartridges that can be recycled.
	Members and their staff can return their empty printer cartridges for recycling in the return envelopes supplied with new cartridges. In addition the Department of the Serjeant at Arms arranges printer and toner cartridge recycling through the Parcel Service Office (PSO) who collect cartridges from offices. Customers are advised of this service when their cartridges are delivered.

LEADER OF THE HOUSE

Consolidation Bills

David Amess: To ask the Leader of the House which consolidation Bills  (a) have been introduced and  (b) are still to be introduced during the current Session; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: The following consolidation Bills have been introduced for the 2005-06 Session:
	National Health Service Bill
	National Health Service (Consequential Provisions) Bill
	National Health Service (Wales) Bill
	Parliamentary Costs Bill
	Wireless Telegraphy Bill.

Consolidation Bills

David Amess: To ask the Leader of the House which consolidation Bills were introduced in each session since 1976; and which in each year received Royal Assent.

Jack Straw: The Bills which have been reported from the Joint Committee on Consolidation, or which have been introduced into the Commons, under the procedures laid down in Standing Orders Nos. 140 and 58, in each Session since 1975-76 are listed in the following table.
	
		
			  Session  Bill  Royal Assent 
			 1975-76 Adoption  [Lords] 1976 
			  Fatal Accidents  [Lords] 1976 
			  Land Drainage  [Lords] 1976 
			  Legitimacy  [Lords] 1976 
			  Lotteries and Amusements  [Lords] 1976 
			  Police Pensions  [Lords] 1976 
			  Resale Prices  [Lords] 1976 
			  Restrictive Practices Court  [Lords] 1976 
			  Restrictive Trade Practices  [Lords] 1976 
			  Sexual Offences (Scotland)  [Lords] 1976 
			  Statute Law Revision (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1976 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1976 
			  Supplementary Benefits  [Lords] 1976 
			
			 1976-77 Agricultural Holdings (Notices to Quit)  [Lords] 1977 
			  British Airways Board  [Lords] 1977 
			  Employment Protection  [Lords] See next session 
			  National Health Service  [Lords] 1977 
			  Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions)  [Lords] See next session 
			  Protection from Eviction  [Lords] 1977 
			  Rent  [Lords] 1977 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1977 
			
			 1977-78 Adoption (Scotland)  [Lords] 1978 
			  Commonwealth Development Corporation  [Lords] 1978 
			  Employment Protection (Consolidation)  [Lords] 1978 
			  Export Guarantees and Overseas Investment  [Lords] 1978 
			  Interpretation  [Lords] 1978 
			  National Health Service (Scotland)  [Lords] 1978 
			  Northern Ireland (Emergency Provisions)  [Lords] 1978 
			  Oaths  [Lords] 1978 
			  Refuse Disposal (Amenity)  [Lords] 1978 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1978 
			
			 1978-79 Agricultural Statistics  [Lords] 1979 
			  Alcoholic Liquor Duties  [Lords] 1979 
			  Capital Gains Tax  [Lords] 1979 
			  Customs and Excise Duties (General Reliefs)  [Lords] 1979 
			  Customs and Excise Management  [Lords] 1979 
			  Electricity (Scotland)  [Lords] 1979 
			  Exchange Equalisation Account  [Lords] 1979 
			  Excise Duties (Surcharges and Rebates)  [Lords] 1979 
			  Hydrocarbon Oil Duties  [Lords] 1979 
			  International Monetary Fund  [Lords] 1979 
			  Matches and Mechanical Lighters Duties  [Lords] 1979 
			  Prosecution of Offences  [Lords] 1979 
			  Tobacco Products Duty  [Lords] 1979 
			  Wages Councils  [Lords] 1979 
			
			 1979-80 Child Care  [Lords] 1980 
			  Criminal Appeal (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1980 
			  Education (Scotland)  [Lords] 1980 
			  Foster Children  [Lords] 1980 
			  Highways  [Lords] 1980 
			  Justices of the Peace  [Lords] 1979 
			  Limitation  [Lords] 1980 
			  Magistrates' Courts  [Lords] 1980 
			  Overseas Development and Co-operation  [Lords] 1980 
			  Reserve Forces  [Lords] 1980 
			  Residential Homes  [Lords] 1980 
			  Sale of Goods  [Lords] 1979 
			  Slaughter of Animals (Scotland)  [Lords] 1980 
			  Solicitors (Scotland)  [Lords] 1980 
			  Statute Law Revision (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1980 
			  Water (Scotland)  [Lords] 1980 
			
			 1980-81 Acquisition of Land  [Lords] 1981 
			  Animal Health  [Lords] 1981 
			  Betting and Gaming Duties  [Lords] 1981 
			  Broadcasting  [Lords] 1981 
			  Compulsory Purchase (Vesting Declarations)  [Lords] 1981 
			  English Industrial Estates Corporation [Lords] 1981 
			  Film Levy Finance  [Lords] 1981 
			  Judicial Pensions  [Lords] 1981 
			  National Film Finance Corporation  [Lords] 1981 
			  New Towns  [Lords] 1981 
			  Public Passenger Vehicles  [Lords] 1981 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1981 
			  Trustee Savings Bank  [Lords] 1981 
			
			 1981-82 Agricultural Training Board  [Lords] 1982 
			  Aviation Security  [Lords] 1982 
			  Civil Aviation  [Lords] 1982 
			  Industrial Development  [Lords] 1982 
			  Industrial Training  [Lords] 1982 
			  Insurance Companies  [Lords] 1982 
			  Iron and Steel  [Lords] 1982 
			
			 1982-83 Car Tax  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Litter  [Lords] 1983 
			  Matrimonial Homes  [Lords] 1983 
			  Medical  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Mental Health  [Lords] 1983 
			  Pilotage  [Lords] 1983 
			  Representation of the People  [Lords] 1983 
			  Value Added Tax  [Lords] See next Session 
			 1983-84 Building [Lords] 1984 
			  Capital Transfer Tax  [Lords] 1984 
			  Car Tax  [Lords] 1983 
			  County Courts  [Lords] 1984 
			  Dentists  [Lords] 1984 
			  Food  [Lords] 1984 
			  Foster Children (Scotland)  [Lords] 1984 
			  Medical  [Lords] 1983 
			  Mental Health (Scotland)  [Lords] 1984 
			  Public Health (Control of Disease)  [Lords] 1984 
			  Registered Homes  [Lords] 1984 
			  Rent (Scotland)  [Lords] 1984 
			  Road Traffic Regulation  [Lords] 1984 
			  Value Added Tax  [Lords] 1983 
			
			 1984-85 Business Names  [Lords] 1985 
			  Cinemas  [Lords] 1985 
			  Companies  [Lords] 1985 
			  Companies Consolidation (Consequential Provisions)  [Lords] 1985 
			  Company Securities (Insider Dealing)  [Lords] 1985 
			  Housing  [Lords] 1985 
			  Housing Associations  [Lords] 1985 
			  Housing (Consequential Provisions)  [Lords] 1985 
			  Landlord and Tenant  [Lords] 1985 
			  Reserve Forces (Safeguard of Employment)  [Lords] 1985 
			  Weights and Measures  [Lords] 1985 
			
			 1985-86 Agricultural Holdings  [Lords] 1986 
			  Company Directors Disqualification  [Lords] 1986 
			  Insolvency  [Lords] 1986 
			  Parliamentary Constituencies  [Lords] 1986 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1986 
			
			 1986-87 Housing (Scotland)  [Lords] 1987 
			
			 1987-88 Coroners  [Lords] 1988 
			  Court of Session  [Lords] 1988 
			  Income and Corporation Taxes  [Lords] 1988 
			  Road Traffic  [Lords] 1988 
			  Road Traffic (Consequential Provisions)  [Lords] 1988 
			  Road Traffic (Offenders)  [Lords] 1988 
			
			 1988-89 Extradition  [Lords] 1989 
			  Opticians  [Lords] 1989 
			  Prisons (Scotland)  [Lords] 1989 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1989 
			
			 1989-90 Capital Allowances  [Lords] 1990 
			  Planning (Consequential Provisions)  [Lords] 1990 
			  Planning (Hazardous Substances)  [Lords] 1990 
			  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas)  [Lords] 1990 
			  Town and Country Planning  [Lords] 1990 
			
			 1990-91 Agricultural Holdings (Scotland)  [Lords] 1991 
			  Deer Bill  [Lords] 1991 
			  Land Drainage  [Lords] 1991 
			  Statute Law Revision (Isle of Man)  [Lords] 1991 
			  Statutory Water Companies  [Lords] 1991 
			  Water Consolidation (Consequential Provisions)  [Lords] 1991 
			  Water Industry  [Lords] 1991 
			  Water Resources  [Lords] 1991 
			
			 1991-92 Protection of Badgers  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Radioactive Substances  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Social Security Administration  [Lords] 1992 
			  Social Security Administration (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1992 
			  Social Security (Consequential Provisions)  [Lords] 1992 
			  Social Security (Consequential Provisions) (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1992 
			  Social Security Contributions and Benefits  [Lords] 1992 
			  Social Security Contributions and Benefits (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1992 
			  Taxation of Chargeable Gains  [Lords] 1992 
			  Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation)  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Tribunals and Inquiries  [Lords] See next Session 
			
			 1992-93 Charities  [Lords] 1993 
			  Clean Air  [Lords] 1993 
			  Crofters (Scotland)  [Lords] 1993 
			  Health Service Commissioners  [Lords] 1993 
			  Pensions Schemes  [Lords] 1993 
			  Pensions Schemes (Northern Ireland)  [Lords] 1993 
			  Probation Service  [Lords] 1993 
			  Protection of Badgers  [Lords] 1992 
			  Radioactive Substances  [Lords] 1993 
			  Scottish Land Court  [Lords] 1993 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1993 
			  Trade Union and Labour Relations (Consolidation)  [Lords] 1992 
			  Tribunals and Inquiries  [Lords] 1992 
			 1993-94 Drug Trafficking  [Lords] 1994 
			  Value Added Tax  [Lords] 1994 
			  Vehicle Excise and Registration  [Lords] 1994 
			
			 1994-95 Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland)  [Lords] 1995 
			  Criminal Procedure (Scotland)  [Lords] 1995 
			  Criminal Procedure (Consequential Provisions) (Scotland)  [Lords] 1995 
			  Employment Rights  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Goods Vehicles (Licensing of Operators)  [Lords] 1995 
			  Industrial Tribunals  [Lords] See next Session 
			  Merchant Shipping  [Lords] 1995 
			  Proceeds of Crime (Scotland)  [Lords] 1995 
			  Shipping and Trading Interests (Protection)  [Lords] 1995 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1995 
			
			 1995-96 Deer (Scotland)  [Lords] 1996 
			  Education  [Lords] 1996 
			  Employment Rights  [Lords] 1996 
			  Industrial Tribunals  [Lords] 1996 
			  Police  [Lords] 1996 
			  School Inspections  [Lords] 1996 
			
			 1996-97 Architects  [Lords] 1997 
			  Justices of the Peace  [Lords] 1997 
			  Lieutenancies  [Lords] 1997 
			  Nurses, Midwives and Health Visitors  [Lords] 1997 
			  Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland)  [Lords] 1997 
			  Planning (Hazardous Substances) (Scotland)  [Lords] 1997 
			  Planning (Consequential Provisions) (Scotland)  [Lords] 1997 
			  Town and Country Planning (Scotland)  [Lords] 1997 
			
			 1997-98 Audit Commission  [Lords] 1998 
			  Petroleum  [Lords] 1998 
			  Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 1998 
			
			 1998-99 None  
			
			 1999-00 European Parliamentary Elections  [Lords]  
			  Powers of Criminal Courts (Sentencing)  [Lords] 2000 
			
			 2000-01 None  
			
			 2001-02 European Parliamentary Elections  [Lords] 2002 
			 2002-03 None  
			
			 2003-04 Statute Law (Repeals)  [Lords] 2004 
			
			 2004-05 None  
		
	
	This list will exclude any relevant Bills introduced into the Lords but not reported on by the Joint Committee or sent to the Commons. The only such bill of which we are aware is the Conveyancing Services Bill (1986-87 session).

Departmental Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Leader of the House 
	(1)  how much was spent by his Office in respect of hotel and other similar privately-provided accommodation  (a) in the UK and  (b) abroad for (i) Ministers, (ii) staff and (iii) other persons in each year since 2001-02;
	(2)  how much was spent by his Office on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02.

Jack Straw: Total travel and subsistence costs for the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons for the years 2001-02 to 2005-06 are set out in the following table. Information broken down by cost of hotel, food, Ministers and staff is not held by this Office. All spending is in accordance with agreed hospitality limits.
	
		
			  Travel and subsistence 
			   UK ()  Overseas () 
			 2001-02 6,763.38 559.69 
			 2002-03 712.63 0 
			 2003-04 1,815.52 1,337.56 
			 2004-05 2,017.81 31,197.08 
			 2005-06 3,846.86 30,517.81 
			 Total 15,156.20 63,612.14

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Leader of the House what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Office makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Office's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Jack Straw: Staff in the Office of the Leader of the House of Commons are part of the Privy Council Office, which provides administrative support. The Privy Council Office does not operate a tax-efficient scheme for the purchase of bicycles but does offer interest free loans to staff for this purpose.

Legislation (European Commission)

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Leader of the House what proportion of the legislation passed in the Commons in the last nine years was in support of legislation arising from the European Commission.

Jack Straw: The information is not held centrally and it would anyway be difficult to provide a full response to the question because of difficulties of categorisation and interpretation. For example, some primary legislation which includes provisions implementing community law might have been introduced anyway, for other reasons.
	However, parliamentary analysis of UK statutory instruments implemented annually under the European Communities Act since 1998 suggests that on average around 9 per cent. of all statutory instruments transpose EC legislation. I refer the hon. Member to section F of the House of Commons Library Standard Note SN/IA/2888 (25 July 2006).

Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House how many parliamentary questions tabled and due for answer before the summer recess are awaiting a substantive reply.

Jack Straw: None.

Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Leader of the House which Government Departments answer parliamentary questions by means of  (a) centralised answering and  (b) officials involved in policy formation.

Jack Straw: All Departments have central units for the administrative co-ordination and processing of answers. Officials responsible for the issue concerned will be involved in the preparation of the answer, under the arrangements made within that Department.
	Ministers are responsible for the answers given. I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for St. Albans (Anne Main) on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1641W.

Sinn Fein

Lady Hermon: To ask the Leader of the House how much was paid to Sinn Fein following the decision to allow that party to claim money analogous to Short money in the House.

Jack Straw: Following the resolution of the House to extend financial assistance for Opposition parties to parties whose Members have chosen not to take their seats, 35,163 was paid to Sinn Fein for the 2005-06 financial year.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

Adult Fitness Classes

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he is taking to ensure adequate funding for adult fitness classes in colleges.

Bill Rammell: The Government remain committed to lifelong learning for its own intrinsic value. We have allocated through the Learning and Skills Council 210 million per annum in 2006/07 and 2007/08 to safeguard learning for personal and community development. This includes fitness classes. LSC providers, including both local authorities and colleges, have access to this budget with allocations made in the light of local needs and the quality of provision.

AimHigher

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of AimHigher's budget was spent on administration costs in 2005-06.

Bill Rammell: The majority of the Aimhigher budget is distributed to schools, colleges and universities. Information is not held centrally on the proportion of the budget spent by these institutions on administration costs or any other individual type of activity.

Alcohol Misuse

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of children living with parents who misuse alcohol; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: Recent Turning Point research suggests that up to 1.3 million children in the UK live with parents who misuse alcohol.
	The Government fully acknowledge that parental alcohol misuse can have serious consequences for children and young people. The Government are addressing parental alcohol misuse and the harm it causes through action by local children's services within the Every Child Matters programme.
	The Children Act 2004 places on Directors of Children's Services responsibility to protect children and young people from significant harm, including from alcohol misusing parents.
	The Government also encourage sensible drinking by adults through unit labelling and health messages.

Black and Minority Ethnic Population

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) undertaken on (i) the level of teenage pregnancies and (ii) attitudes to abortion within the black and minority ethnic population; and what steps he is taking to reduce the number of teenage pregnancies in the black and minority ethnic population.

Beverley Hughes: Several research projects that examine the sexual attitudes and behaviours of BME groups have been commissioned as part of the Teenage Pregnancy Strategy, details of which are provided at annex 1. The strategy has also drawn upon routinely collected data to inform our understanding of ethnicity and teenage pregnancy.
	The evidence suggests that young people from different ethnic groups are more or less likely to experience teenage pregnancy than others. But establishing the precise impact of ethnicity is difficult because: ethnicity is not recorded at birth registration; BME groups are over-represented in deprived areas where higher rates would be expected; and sexual behaviour, knowledge and attitudes may vary considerably within BME groups.
	Data on mothers giving birth under-19, identified from the 2001 Census, show rates of teenage motherhood are significantly higher among young women of 'Mixed White and Black Caribbean', 'Other Black' and 'Black Caribbean' ethnicity. 'White British' young women are also over-represented among teenage mothers, while all Asian ethnic groups are under-represented. Girls and young women of Black and Black British ethnicity are also over-represented among abortions under-18. In 2004, Black ethnic groups (which represent around 3 per cent. of all females aged 15-17) accounted for 9 per cent. of all abortions under-18.
	The Teenage Pregnancy Strategy has a target to halve the rate of under-18 conceptions by 2010 (compared to the rate in 1998). Between 1998 and 2004 (the latest year for which data are available) the under-18 conception rate fell by 11.1 per cent., to its lowest level for 20 years and the under-16 rate fell by 15.2 per cent. The strategy does not have targets to reduce conceptions among different ethnic groups, although local areas are asked to take account of factors that increase the risk of early pregnancy, including social deprivation, poor educational attainment, living in care and ethnicity, in the delivery of local strategies.

Connexions

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to his answer to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew) of 22 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1356W, on Connexions, how much of the remaining budget for the Connexions card payable to Capita under the contract ending in December 2008 his Department expects to recoup following the ending of the scheme.

Parmjit Dhanda: As a result of early wind down of the Connexions card, the Department for Education and Skills expects to recoup an estimated 23.8 million.

Departmental Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Parmjit Dhanda: Since 1 November 2004, my Department has used a single provider (Adecco). The key requirement of DfES is the provision of temporary administrative and secretarial cover. Agency engagements are kept as short as possible and only used to meet genuine short-term needsno more than 13 weeks.
	Prior to 1 November 2004, my Department used Brook Street and Manpower employment agencies. To establish the average working rate from these agencies since 1999 would entail disproportionate cost.
	The average hourly rate paid by the Department for staff employed through Adecco for the financial years 2004-05 and 2005-06 was as follows:
	
		
			  2004-05 
			  Grade  Average hourly charge rate () 
			 AA 8.58 
			 AO 9.94 
			 EO 12.14 
			 HEO 16.89 
			 Messenger 7.97 
			 Pers sec 14.05 
			 Snr pers sec 14.74 
		
	
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  Grade  Average hourly charge rate () 
			 AA 8.73 
			 AO 10.12 
			 EO 12.40 
			 HEO 17.24 
			 Messenger 8.09 
			 Pers sec 14.24 
			 Snr pers sec 14.97

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the total carbon emission from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Parmjit Dhanda: A complete answer cannot be provided as validated carbon emission information is only available from 1999. The following figures are based on kilograms of carbon emitted per square metre of lettable area in our HQ buildings.
	
		
			   kgC/m2 
			 1999-2000 28 
			 2000-01 30 
			 2001-02 29 
			 2002-03 28 
			 2003-04 32 
			 2004-05 31 
			  Note: These figures exclude carbon emissions from road vehicles used for Government administrative operations as this information is not held.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what child care  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to his Department's staff;
	(2)  which of his Department's premises have child care facilities on site;
	(3)  whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which his Department provides for its employees.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department is committed to providing quality child care support and offers a range of the following options to staff:
	50 subsidised nursery places on its Runcorn and Sheffield sites. There are no waiting lists for these nurseries;
	Pre-school age child care vouchers which are payable for 48 weeks per year and are valued at 20 per week for Runcorn, Sheffield and Darlington staff and 30 per week for London staff. These amounts are pro-rated for part-time staff;
	School age vouchers, introduced from 1 May 2006, which replaced departmental play scheme subsidy previously paid to staff, on all sites. These vouchers are paid monthly, London staff receive 38 per month and staff on other sites receive 32 per month, pro-rated for part-time staff. These vouchers offer parents greater flexibility and choice;
	Access to a public sector play scheme for school age children on the Darlington and London sites. There are no waiting lists for these play schemes; and
	A Childcare Salary Sacrifice scheme, which was introduced on 1 May 2006. This enables staff to make savings on tax and national insurance contributions by sacrificing part of their salary for child care vouchers which can then be used towards payment of pre-school child care and/or school age holiday child care support.

Departmental Contracts

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total value was of contracts his Department held with  (a) ER Consultants and  (b) Praesta in each of the last three years; and which Ministers have made use of each company's services.

Phil Hope: holding answer 11 September 2006
	A complete answer to this question could be supplied only at disproportionate cost. I can tell the hon. Member, however, that the Department spent the following with ER Consultants over the last three financial years:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 257,000 
			 2004-05 600,000 
			 2005-06 408,000 
		
	
	The Department also spent 8,800 with Praesta in 2005.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Parmjit Dhanda: The information requested has been placed in the House Libraries.

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Parmjit Dhanda: The Department currently has no tax efficient schemes for bicycle purchase in place.

DG Education and Culture

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will place in the Library the latest compendium providing budgetary breakdowns for projects funded by DG Education and Culture in the UK.

Bill Rammell: There are no recent printed compendia giving budgetary breakdowns of all DG Education and Culture funded projects. Directly funded Socrates (education) project budgets up to 2003 are on the European Commission website http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/socrates_en.html The very numerous smaller projects at national level funded through the National Agency are listed at www.socrates-uk.net Leonardo da Vinci (vocational training) projects up to 2005, both direct and funded through the National Agency, can be found at http://www.leonardo.org.uk/arounduk/index.htm There are no compendia for the Youth programme, or the Culture 2000 programme which is the responsibility of my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (Tessa Jowell). The European Commission's Executive Agency manages all the DG's directly-funded projects and should be able to provide more information on request, (email: eacea-info@ec.europa.eu).

Disabled Students

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many disabled students have dropped out of higher education before completion of their course in the last five years;
	(2)  what information is collected on the number of disabled students dropping out of university.

Bill Rammell: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects information on disabled students each year via the HESA Student record. Disability is determined in two ways: by a self-assessment on the part of the student, and by whether a student is in receipt of a Disabled Student Allowance.
	HESA's Performance Indicators in Higher Education include the proportion of students in receipt of a Disabled Student Allowance, and the proportion of full-time first degree entrants who do not continue in higher education after first year. Both of these are shown in the tables. However, there is no publicly-available information on non-completion rates specifically for disabled students. Using the data on which the PIs are based, the proportion of full-time first degree disabled students not continuing in HE after first year has been calculated for 2002-03 and 2003-04. These figures are also included in the tables.
	
		
			  Percentage of full-time first degree students at UK institutions in receipt of disabled student allowance 
			   Percentage 
			 2000-01 1.5 
			 2001-02 2.1 
			 2002-03 2.6 
			 2003-04 3.1 
			 2004-05 3.6 
			  Source:  Table T7, Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of full-time first degree entrants to UK institutions not continuing in HE after their first year 
			   Percentage 
			 1999-2000 9.7 
			 2000-01 8.7 
			 2001-02 9.0 
			 2002-03 9.5 
			 2003-04 9.5 
			   
			  Source: Table T3, Performance Indicators in Higher Education, published by HESA 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage of full-time first degree students to UK institutions who are in receipt of Disabled Student Allowance, not continuing in HE after their first year 
			   Percentage 
			 2002-03 7.3 
			 2003-04 7.5 
			  Source: HEFCE

Educational Premises

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many educational premises have been declared unfit for use since 1997.

Phil Hope: Information on the number of educational premises that have been declared unfit for use since 1997 is not held by the Department.

European Union Communications

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) decisions,  (b) notifications,  (c) communications,  (d) directives and  (e) European Court of Justice court rulings his Department received from the appropriate agencies in the period 25 June to 25 July 2006.

Parmjit Dhanda: During the period in question the Department received one Communication, on the follow up to the White Paper on European Youth, and no notice of adoption of Decisions or Directives, or European Court of Justice rulings relating to its area of responsibility. A notification, in EU terms, applies to outgoing notification of proposed changes to technical regulations or of transposition of legislation. There have not been any such notifications relating to this Department.
	In addition, during the period in question common positions have been reached on the Decisions to create the Lifelong Learning and Youth in Action programmes, which will run from 2007-13. A number of calls for proposals in the fields of education, skills and youth were also published in the  Official Journal.

Excluded Children

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many children excluded from school were subsequently taken into local authority care in each of the last five years.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Extended Schools Programme

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the extended schools programme in Gravesham.

Beverley Hughes: There are 75 schools in Kent delivering the extended schools full core offer of activities and of these four are primary schools in the constituency of Gravesham. These schools are offering childcare from 8am-6pm (where needed) all year round; a varied menu of study support activities; a range of specialist health and social care services; and are opening up facilities to the wider community.
	Research from Ofsted and from the Universities of Manchester and Newcastle has shown that extended services can have a positive impact for children, improving behaviour, attendance and pupil achievement and helping to reduce exclusions. The first year evaluation of extended schools also showed that the services helped teachers refocus upon teaching and learning.
	The expectation is that all schools will become extended schools by 2010. A good start has already been made with over 3,000 primary and secondary schools in England offering extended services, exceeding the Government's aim of 2,500 extended schools by September 2006.

Foreign Teachers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many foreign teachers, excluding language assistants, are working in maintained  (a) primary and  (b) secondary schools, broken down by (i) nationality and (ii) local authority area.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally for England. Information for Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.
	The following table provides the number of foreign teachers recruited to the overseas trained teacher programme in each year from 2000/01 to 2004/05, the latest year for which full details are available.
	
		
			  Recruitment to the overseas trained teacher scheme in England by phase, 2000/01 to 2004/05 
			   Primary  Secondary  Total 
			 2000/01 110 80 190 
			 2001/02 310 440 760 
			 2002/03 330 510 830 
			 2003/04 510 710 1,210 
			 2004/05 610 940 1,540 
			  Notes: 1. Teacher Development Agency (TDA) 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest10.

Further Education (Over 55s)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assistance for  (a) further education and  (b) life long learning is available for people over 55 years of age who have (i) been made redundant and (ii) been redundant for more than one year.

Bill Rammell: Responsibility for encouraging redundant workers, including those aged over 55 and redundant for more than one year, back into employment, education or training is shared between the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and the Secretary of State for Education and Skills. Both Departments along with their respective agencies Jobcentre Plus (JCP) and the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) work closely together on large-scale redundancies to ensure that redundant employees have the skills they need to secure sustainable and productive jobs.
	All those on jobseeker's allowance or income related benefits and their dependants receive free tuition in further education. Unemployed people in England also have access to in-depth advice about their education and training options through the Learndirect one-stop telephone and on-line service.
	In addition, we remain committed to supporting learning for its own intrinsic value and have established a safeguarded budget of 210 million pa for 2006/07 and 2007/08 for learning for personal and community development. Over half the participants on these courses are aged over 55.

Further Education (Pensioners)

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many pensioners in  (a) England and  (b) each local authority took advantage of the concession for subsidised further education courses in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06.

Bill Rammell: There is no national subsidy for pensioners on courses in further education funded through the Learning and Skills Council. However all those on income related benefits and their families do not pay tuition fees for their courses. This includes those pensioners in receipt of the pension credit guarantee. Many pensioners will also benefit from free tuition for courses in literacy, numeracy and language and, where they intend to work, from free tuition for a first full level 2 qualification. Beyond national policy many providers, in both local authorities and FE colleges, have offered fee concessions at their own discretion which may, to varying degrees, be based on age. The following table therefore shows the numbers of learning aims funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in 2004/05 and taken up by learners of State Pension Age, i.e. 65 for men and 60 for women, where fees are waived for whatever reason. Figures are in terms of aims, of which an individual learner may have several, because fee remission applies to individual aims rather than the learner. Additionally, where fees are paid in full by the learner, 75 per cent. of the total tuition cost in 2004/05 for learners in Further Education was still funded by the LSC.
	Equivalent figures for 2005/06 will not be available until December 2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Aims studied by LSC-funded learners of state pension age in 2004/05 
			  Local authority area based on learner's home postcode  Fees waived  Fees paid in full by the learner 
			 England 710,556 215,683 
			
			 Unknown 8,812 2,336 
			 City of London 205 204 
			 Camden 4,816 1,063 
			 Greenwich 2,907 378 
			 Hackney 2,283 66 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,235 237 
			 Islington 3,258 271 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2,653 547 
			 Lambeth 2,910 225 
			 Lewisham 2,911 326 
			 Southwark 2,156 289 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,678 68 
			 Wandsworth 4,773 585 
			 Westminster 3,965 272 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,720 65 
			 Barnet 4,850 994 
			 Bexley 3,330 695 
			 Brent 3,356 296 
			 Bromley 6,232 1,480 
			 Croydon 4,319 768 
			 Ealing 2,688 382 
			 Enfield 2,293 431 
			 Haringey 2,454 510 
			 Harrow 2,289 473 
			 Havering 5,512 162 
			 Hillingdon 2,837 998 
			 Hounslow 2,557 245 
			 Kingston upon Thames 1,348 2,557 
			 Merton 2,007 480 
			 Newham 2,766 55 
			 Redbridge 2,087 908 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,899 1,022 
			 Sutton 3,014 1,160 
			 Waltham Forest 2,252 366 
			 Birmingham 12,213 888 
			 Coventry 3,735 1,929 
			 Dudley 6,241 780 
			 Sandwell 3,225 250 
			 Solihull 2,223 625 
			 Walsall 2,124 2,440 
			 Wolverhampton 3,767 537 
			 Knowsley 2,178 159 
			 Liverpool 10,032 300 
			 St. Helens 1,621 509 
			 Sefton 6,227 683 
			 Wirral 2,918 1,368 
			 Bolton 1,715 1,827 
			 Bury 2,899 339 
			 Manchester 4,526 863 
			 Oldham 2,288 2,018 
			 Rochdale 1,723 264 
			 Salford 2,513 301 
			 Stockport 3,518 2,181 
			 Tameside 2,496 675 
			 Trafford 2,578 1,294 
			 Wigan 1,995 351 
			 Barnsley 4,189 63 
			 Doncaster 5,090 100 
			 Rotherham 3,855 296 
			 Sheffield 7,344 845 
			 Bradford 5,529 2,020 
			 Calderdale 2,494 279 
			 Kirklees 5,329 224 
			 Leeds 7,871 1,509 
			 Wakefield 5,286 181 
			 Gateshead 5,048 337 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 6,211 197 
			 North Tyneside 3,556 637 
			 South Tyneside 2,805 143 
			 Sunderland 5,545 320 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1,605 595 
			 Bristol 3,900 968 
			 North Somerset 3,772 311 
			 South Gloucestershire 1,790 354 
			 Hartlepool 805 198 
			 Middlesbrough 2,293 136 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,368 173 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,316 2,089 
			 Kingston upon Hull 4,096 279 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 9,183 589 
			 North East Lincolnshire 4,948 59 
			 North Lincolnshire 5,484 306 
			 North Yorkshire 8,609 3,539 
			 York 2,739 559 
			 Bedfordshire 5,370 673 
			 Luton 2,688 157 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,959 6,529 
			 Milton Keynes 2,251 291 
			 Derbyshire 9,762 7,511 
			 Derby 3,007 826 
			 Dorset 7,216 3,448 
			 Poole 1,944 1,228 
			 Bournemouth 2,883 248 
			 Durham 9,051 1,093 
			 Darlington 775 559 
			 East Sussex 5,237 5,245 
			 Brighton and Hove 1,749 764 
			 Hampshire 14,648 9,863 
			 Portsmouth 1,604 646 
			 Southampton 1,680 615 
			 Leicestershire 12,982 1,624 
			 Leicester 3,735 290 
			 Rutland 342 378 
			 Staffordshire 13,896 3,357 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 3,914 317 
			 Wiltshire 2,082 4,186 
			 Swindon 826 875 
			 Bracknell Forest 2,182 260 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 1,809 839 
			 West Berkshire 3,400 376 
			 Reading 1,065 349 
			 Slough 862 164 
			 Wokingham 3,427 530 
			 Cambridgeshire 5,302 3,747 
			 Peterborough 1,862 703 
			 Cheshire 8,743 6,181 
			 Halton 1,523 84 
			 Warrington 2,883 214 
			 Devon 8,536 10,733 
			 Plymouth 2,349 343 
			 Torbay 1,147 2,409 
			 Essex 21,215 1,975 
			 Southend on Sea 2,637 90 
			 Thurrock 1,166 53 
			 Herefordshire 1,440 900 
			 Worcestershire 6,006 2,563 
			 Kent 24,966 3,178 
			 Medway 3,305 298 
			 Lancashire 19,547 10,515 
			 Blackburn with Darwen 1,811 278 
			 Blackpool 1,456 1,176 
			 Nottinghamshire 15,391 1,013 
			 Nottingham 3,675 188 
			 Shropshire 2,769 3,446 
			 Telford and Wrekin 4,093 169 
			 Cornwall 10,440 3,422 
			 Cumbria 7,882 1,444 
			 Gloucestershire 10,005 4,603 
			 Hertfordshire 7,629 4,520 
			 Isle of Wight 792 960 
			 Lincolnshire 11,367 1,968 
			 Norfolk 11,039 2,574 
			 Northamptonshire 8,301 2,582 
			 Northumberland 4,993 3,590 
			 Oxfordshire 4,312 3,758 
			 Somerset 4,697 4,964 
			 Suffolk 10,016 5,494 
			 Surrey 19,092 6,668 
			 Warwickshire 6,646 3,280 
			 West Sussex 12,920 3,558

Higher Education

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the total cost arising from students dropping out of higher education without completing courses was in each of the last five years.

Bill Rammell: The cost to the Exchequer of students who drop out from UK universities depends on factors such as the timing of drop outs within academic years, the level of public funding associated with individual courses, students entitlement to student support, whether or not students transfer to other HE institutions and whether or not students return to HE at a later date. It is therefore not possible to give a reliable figure for the cost.
	Completion rates for the UK are among the highest in the OECD. The following table sets out the rates of non-completion over the last five years for which information is available. In England, the national rate of projected non-completion has broadly shown a downward trend since 1997/98, but we are committed to continuing to bear-down on rates of non-completion while increasing and widening participation in higher education.
	
		
			  Percentage of UK domiciled full-time first degree entrants expected neither to obtain an award nor transfer (English higher education institutions) 
			  Students starting courses in:  Non-completion rate (percentage) 
			 1999/2000 15.9 
			 2000/01 15.0 
			 2001/02 13.8 
			 2002/03 13.9 
			 2003/04 14.4 
			  Source:  Performance Indicators in Higher Education in the UK published by Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Higher Education

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment his Department has made of the number of students in full-time higher education who are in paid employment, broken down by industry sector.

Bill Rammell: The Student Income and Expenditure Survey 2004-05, published on the 30th March 2006, is a comprehensive study on students' income, expenditure, borrowing and debt. It showed that 56 per cent. of all full time undergraduate students undertook paid work at some time during the academic year. For those undertaking such work earnings were on average 3,250 (after tax). Data by industry sector are not available. The Department plans to repeat the survey in the 2007-08 academic year.

Higher Education (Disabled Students)

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) disabled students and  (b) students with severe learning disabilities entered higher education in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Bill Rammell: The most recent information is shown in the following table. Figures for 2005/06 will be available in January 2007.
	
		
			  UK domiciled, undergraduate entrants to English institutions by disability type( 1) 
			  Disability type  2000/01  2001/02  2002/03  2003/04  2004/05 
			 Dyslexia 7,750 10,010 11,765 13,140 14,755 
			 Blind/are partially sighted 665 875 820 835 870 
			 Deaf/have a hearing impairment 1,365 1,670 1,600 1,695 1,800 
			 Wheelchair user/have mobility difficulties 1,040 1,265 1,300 1,275 1,370 
			 Personal care support 70 75 70 60 55 
			 Mental health difficulties 885 1,115 1,340 1,505 1,620 
			 An unseen disability e.g. Diabetes, Epilepsy, Asthma 5,550 6,035 5,430 5,720 5,815 
			 Multiple disabilities 1,540 2,150 2,245 3,050 3,020 
			 Autistic spectrum disorder n/a n/a n/a 65 185 
			 A disability not listed above 2,785 3,265 3,880 3,735 3,700 
			 Unknown 20,085 6,940 9,695 7,050 61,640 
			 No disability 454,375 496,565 503,730 515,765 456,545 
			 Total 496,095 529,955 541,875 553,890 551,375 
			 n/a = not applicable. (1) A separate category for autistic spectrum disorder was introduced in 2003/04. The information on disability is based on self reporting by students and those who have indicated that they have a disability will not necessarily be in receipt of a disabled students allowance (DSA).  Note: Figures are based on the HESA standard registration population and have been rounded to the nearest five, so components may not sum to totals.  Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

Higher Education Funding Council for England

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of the Higher Education Funding Council for England's budget for 2005-06 was spent on administration costs.

Bill Rammell: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) spent a proportion of 0.3 per cent. of their budget for 2005-06 on administration costs.

Higher Education Funding Council for England

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many courses have had funding withdrawn by the Higher Education Funding Council for England on grounds of a lack of vocational focus in each of the last five years for which records are available; and how many of these courses were specifically offered to disabled people.

Bill Rammell: The Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) have not withdrawn any funding for courses on the grounds of lack of vocational focus.

Illegal Knives

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what educational programmes and materials on the dangers of carrying illegal knives he has made available to schools.

Jim Knight: The issue of carrying knives can be explored through the statutory citizenship curriculum, at key stages 3 and 4 as it relates to legal and human rights and responsibilities underpinning society, basic aspects of the criminal justice system and how both relate to young people, and 'the importance of resolving conflict fairly'. In PSHE, pupils are taught to recognise and manage risk and make safer choices and to recognise when pressure from others threatens their personal safety.

Law Students

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what funding and assistance out of public funds is given to law students to enable them to complete a legal practice course.

Bill Rammell: The legal practice course is a postgraduate level course and students are not generally eligible for student support under the Education (Student Support) Regulations. However, provision is made for support to be provided to disabled students who are undertaking a legal practice course to assist with additional expenditure that they are obliged to incur in connection with that course. To be eligible for the postgraduate disabled student's allowance students would need to meet the eligibility criteria and their course would need to be designated for student support purposes.
	Students on the legal practice course may be eligible for a career development loan which has an element of subsidy from public funds.

Markfield Institute of Higher Education

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what steps he has taken to investigate Markfield institute of higher education's teaching of Islam; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Courses at Markfield institute of higher education are validated by Loughborough university and as such are subject to the quality assurance mechanisms of the university.

Newly Qualified Teacher Course

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many institutions in England offer accredited newly qualified teacher courses; and how many places are available on each course.

Jim Knight: There are a total of 134 accredited initial teacher training (ITT) providers offering post-graduate and under-graduate routes to qualified teacher status (QTS). In the 2006/07 academic year these providers have been allocated a total of 15,253 primary ITT places and 18,450 secondary ITT places.
	There are also 102 providers of Employment Based Teacher Training Scheme (EBTTS) courses leading to QTS. In 2006/07 these providers have been allocated a total of 7,289 EBTTS places.
	The Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) announced ITT allocations to all training providers for the academic years 2006/07 and 2007/08 on 21 December 2005. Details of allocated places are included in the annexes and are available at http://www.tda.gov.uk/partners/funding/allocations/allocations0708.aspx

Newly Qualified Teacher Course

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many applications have been made to Newly Qualified Teacher courses in each year since 1999; and how many of these applications have been successful.

Jim Knight: The following information is shown in the table:
	applications to under-graduate (UG) and post-graduate (PG) initial teacher training (ITT) courses,
	applicants accepted on to a course leading to Qualified Teacher Status (QTS),
	acceptances to Employment Based Teacher Training Scheme (EBTTS) courses.
	Potential EBTTS trainees apply directly to individual providers of these courses and it is therefore not possible to track the total number of applicants to these courses.
	
		
			  ITT recruitment 
			  Academic year  PG and UG applications  PG and UG accepted applicants  EBTTS recruitment 
			 2000/01 42,035 28,393  
			 2001/02 45,235 28,327 3,143 
			 2002/03 51,124 28,107 3,954 
			 2003/04 55,103 31,044 5,417 
			 2004/05 56,674 31,460 7,106 
			 2005/06 58,275 31,272 7,010 
			  Source:  UG data from UCAS, PG data from GTTR, EBTTS data from the TDA EBTTS database. 
		
	
	Comparative data on applications to ITT courses are not available for the academic year 1999/2000. Accepted applications differ from those given in the Training and Development Agency for School's (TDA) ITT Trainee Number Census as they do not include forecast trainees.

Newly Qualified Teacher Course

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers who qualified overseas are working in schools in England; and how many of these will be required to enrol on a Newly Qualified Teacher course this September if they are to continue teaching.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally.
	Commonwealth and other foreign teachers who choose to come to our schools are welcome, although not recruited or solicited by the Government. They are well qualified and greatly valued, making an important contribution to schools in England. We know that many stay for one or two years, and can in any event teach for no more than four years here without acquiring Qualified Teacher Status.
	The following table provides the number of foreign teachers recruited to the overseas trained teacher programme in each year from 2000-01 to 2004-05, the latest year for which full details are available.
	
		
			  Recruitment to the overseas trained teacher scheme in England by phase, 2000-01 to 2004-05 
			  Primary Secondary Total 
			 2000-01 110 80 190 
			 2001-02 310 440 760 
			 2002-03 330 510 830 
			 2003-04 510 710 1,210 
			 2004-05 610 940 1,540 
			  Source: Teacher Development Agency (TDA)

Newly Qualified Teacher Course

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of applications which will be made to Newly Qualified Teacher courses for entry in September from teachers trained  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas.

Jim Knight: The total number of under-graduate and post-graduate places made available to accredited ITT providers for September 2006 is 33,703. A breakdown of these places by UK and overseas trainees is not available. A further 7,289 places have been made available to providers of Employment Based Teacher Training Scheme (EBTTS) courses, including 1,559 places for the Overseas Trained Teacher Programme (OTTP).

Nursery Education

Maria Miller: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills whether a full regulatory impact assessment, including an assessment of the impact on private and voluntary nursery providers, has been carried out for the code of practice on the provision of free nursery education places for three-and four year olds which came into force on 1 April 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Beverley Hughes: The single substantive change to the delivery of the free early education entitlement, set out in the 2006 code of practice, was the extension of the minimum free entitlement from 33 to 38 weeks. Following the consultation, we made clear that we recognised that not all providers would be able to extend their provision to 38 weeks and that, at the relevant local authority's discretion, they could be funded for the provision they actually delivered.
	In addition, all LAs received additional funding to support the extension to the free entitlement. As a result we concluded there should not be a substantive regulatory impact. A regulatory impact assessment was therefore not required.

Obesity

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what recent discussions  (a) he and  (b) his Department has had on measures to tackle obesity among children through (i) better diet and (ii) exercise in schools.

Parmjit Dhanda: Childhood obesity is a serious issue, both in terms of the range of health problems it is associated with and also the cost burden it places on the NHS and the UK economy.
	To tackle this problem, the Government have set a public service agreement target
	to halt, by 2010, the year-on-year increase in obesity among children under 11 in the context of a broader strategy to tackle obesity in the population as whole.
	This target is the joint responsibility of the Secretary of State for Education and Skills, the Secretary of State for Health, and the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.
	Officials from these Departments have met and have held meetings with officials from other Departments. They have also had discussions with representatives of partner organisations including the School Food Trust, Sport England and the Youth Sport Trust, to develop and progress the actions which will halt the rise in childhood obesity.
	For example, the School Food Programme will contribute to healthier food in schools through new regulation for nutritional standards for food in schools, funding and practical support to improve the quality of food in schools.
	The National School Sport Strategy, which is being delivered jointly by this Department and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is increasing the amount and quality of physical education and school sport for our young people. Our overall aim, a joint PSA target, is to increase the percentage of young people who take part in at least two hours of high quality PE and school sport each week to 75 per cent. by 2006 and on to 85 per cent. by 2008.
	The Healthy Schools programme, for which this Department and the Department of Health established a joint delivery unit, requires schools which wish to have Healthy School status to meet four standards: healthy eating, physical activity, emotional health, and personal, social and health education. The Government want all schools to be working towards Healthy School status by 2009 and 75 per cent. of schools have already achieved that status or are working towards it.

Research Assessment Exercise

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how much it cost to administer the Research Assessment Exercise in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  what estimate his Department has made of the effect on administration costs of changing to a metrics-based Research Assessment Exercise.

Bill Rammell: The total administrative cost of preparations for the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise to the four UK higher education funding bodies in 2005-06 was 1.184 million. That does not include the direct and indirect costs of the Exercise to universities.
	It will not be possible to estimate the administrative cost of a reformed research assessment system until after the results of the consultation exercise that is currently in progress are known. However, the main aim of the Government's proposals remains to secure a significant reduction in the time and money that universities currently devote to the RAE.

Research Assessment Exercise

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what discussions he has had with universities concerning reform of the Research Assessment Exercise.

Bill Rammell: Ministers and officials of the Department for Education and Skills have held discussions with a wide range of interested parties since the consultation document The reform of higher education research assessment and funding was published on 13 June. These include representatives of Universities UK, the Russell Group, the 1994 Group and the Campaign for Mainstream Universities, together with individual university teachers and administrators.

Salaries

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average salary is of a  (a) secondary school deputy head,  (b) secondary school head,  (c) primary school head and  (d) primary school deputy head, broken down by region.

Jim Knight: The following table provides the average salary of full-time head and deputy head teachers in maintained nursery, primary and secondary schools in March 2003, broken down by government office region. This is the latest information available.
	
		
			  Average salary of full-time head and deputy head teachers, by phase and government office region: March 2003( 1) 
			   
			   Nursery/primary  Secondary 
			   Head teachers  Deputy head teachers  Head teachers  Deputy head teachers 
			 North East 41,000 34,880 54,020 44,180 
			 North West 41,390 35,120 56,960 44,170 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 41,500 35,340 57,660 45,420 
			 East Midlands 40,560 34,960 55,840 45,120 
			 West Midlands 41,870 35,390 54,400 44,440 
			 East of England 41,490 35,540 57,210 45,710 
			 London 48,960 40,310 65,440 48,450 
			 South East 41,990 35,350 59,340 45,610 
			 South West 40,050 34,530 56,490 44,400 
			 Wales 39,720 34,130 57,300 44,130 
			 England and Wales 41,730 35,630 57,460 45,280 
			 (1) Provisional estimates which are subject to revision.  Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.  Source: Database of Teacher Records.

School Food Trust

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment he has made of the School Food Trust.

Parmjit Dhanda: The School Food Trust is a relatively new organisation which will be subject to the usual oversight as a non-departmental public body. Following the School Food Trust taking full responsibility for its grant in aid from 1 April 2006, the first formal quarterly meeting between the Department and the Trust took place on 18 July 2006. There is much to be done but I am satisfied that the Trust has made a good start on its remit to help transform school food.

School Playing Fields

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1709W, on school playing fields, how much was raised; and how much went to the schools concerned.

Jim Knight: The capital receipt expected to be raised from the approved applications is approximately 613 million. However, because of land price changes from the time that consent is given to the time that the land is sold, and also because some sales may not yet have taken place, it is not possible to accurately assess how much capital has been raised or how much money has actually been spent.
	However, it is set out in guidance that any sale proceeds must be re-invested to provide new or improved sports facilities at schools.

School Playing Fields

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1709W, on school playing fields, which 10 applications are pending; and for what reasons each sale is being proposed.

Jim Knight: At its meeting on 20 July, the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel determined a further three applications. There are, therefore, now only seven applications still under consideration. These are:
	1. Amy Johnson School, Kingston-upon-Hull: This run-down closed school site is to be sold as part of a regeneration of the area. The sale proceeds will be used towards the cost of new sports facilities in the area.
	2. Beanfield Community School, Northamptonshire: The sale proceeds from this closed school site will be used to fund the building of a new school.
	3. Blackthorne Middle School, Northamptonshire: The proceeds from the sale of this closed school site will be used as a contribution towards a private finance scheme for a school reorganisation.
	4. Ecton Brook Middle School, Northamptonshire: The sale proceeds from this closed school site will be used as a contribution towards a private finance scheme for a school reorganisation.
	5. Meadway School, Reading: The proceeds from the sale of part of this closed school site will be used towards the cost of providing sports facilities at a new special school that is to be built on that part of the site being retained.
	6. Paddock Wood Primary School, Kent: The local authority has applied to sell part of the school's playing field to fund a new on-site swimming pool and extend the school's hard play area.
	7. Portland School, Nottinghamshire: It is proposed to sell part of the playing field to fund the redevelopment of the school on its existing site with improved sports facilities.

School Playing Fields

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1709W, on school playing fields, in how many cases selling the playing fields left the establishment without a playing field.

Jim Knight: None. Government policy on school playing fields would not allow an operating school to sell all of its playing fields. Only surplus land may be sold.

School Playing Fields

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1709W, on school playing fields, how many of the playing fields were in urban areas.

Jim Knight: It is not possible to provide a breakdown for urban areas. However, the number of applications received per local authority is as follows:
	
		
			  Local authority  Number 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1 
			 Barnet 1 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 1 
			 Bedfordshire 2 
			 Bexley 1 
			 Birmingham 2 
			 Blackpool 1 
			 Bolton 2 
			 Bracknell Forest 1 
			 Bristol 3 
			 Buckinghamshire 6 
			 Bury 1 
			 Calderdale 1 
			 Cambridgeshire 1 
			 Camden 1 
			 Cheshire 8 
			 City of Derby 2 
			 City of Leicester 1 
			 City of Nottingham 1 
			 Coventry 4 
			 Croydon 1 
			 Cumbria 1 
			 Derbyshire 3 
			 Devon 1 
			 Dorset 3 
			 Dudley 3 
			 Durham 4 
			 Essex 6 
			 Gateshead 1 
			 Gloucestershire 6 
			 Greenwich 1 
			 Halton 1 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 2 
			 Hampshire 3 
			 Havering 2 
			 Hertfordshire 8 
			 Kent 7 
			 Kingston upon Hull 1 
			 Knowsley 2 
			 Lancashire 4 
			 Leeds 5 
			 Leicestershire 2 
			 Lincolnshire 2 
			 Liverpool 2 
			 Manchester 8 
			 Medway Towns 2 
			 Merton 1 
			 Milton Keynes 4 
			 Newcastle 1 
			 Norfolk 4 
			 North East Lincoln 1 
			 North Lincoln 1 
			 North Tyneside 2 
			 North Yorkshire 2 
			 Northamptonshire 4 
			 Northumberland 2 
			 Nottinghamshire 7 
			 Oldham 1 
			 Oxfordshire 3 
			 Peterborough 5 
			 Reading 1 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 1 
			 Rochdale 3 
			 Salford 3 
			 Sefton 1 
			 Sheffield 1 
			 Shropshire 1 
			 Somerset 2 
			 South Gloucester 1 
			 Southampton 1 
			 Staffordshire 3 
			 Stockton on Tees 1 
			 Surrey 11 
			 Swindon 1 
			 Tameside 1 
			 Telford and Wrekin 1 
			 Trafford 2 
			 Wakefield 3 
			 Walsall 3 
			 Warwickshire 7 
			 West Sussex 3 
			 Wigan 6 
			 Wiltshire 2 
			 Wokingham 4 
			 Wolverhampton 2 
			 Worcestershire 2 
			 York 1

School Playing Fields

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1709W, on school playing fields, for what reasons sales were  (a) rejected and  (b) withdrawn.

Jim Knight: Since 1998, of the 228 applications involving the loss of an area of grassed land capable of forming a school sports pitch, two have been rejected and 46 withdrawn. Applications to dispose, or change the use, of school playing fields are considered against strict criteria which are set out in the Department's guidance. Briefly, these are:
	(a) school's needs: that playing field provision and curriculum requirements at the school making the disposal, and at other schools in the local area, are met;
	(b) community needs: that community use of a school's playing fields is taken into account, with alternative facilities made available if necessary;
	(c) finance: that any sale proceeds are reinvested to provide new or improved sports facilities at schools, with priority being given to outdoor sports facilities, or are used to help raise standards by improving educational facilities.
	In the case of the two rejected applications, the School Playing Fields Advisory Panel determined, on appeal, that the applications did not meet the published criteria. Applications have been withdrawn either as a result of the panel's preliminary view that the application failed to meet the criteria or as a result of similar advice from officials. In some instances, the applicant itself has withdrawn its application because it realised that it failed to meet the criteria. In every case, however, the reason for withdrawal was that the application failed to meet the criteria for giving consent. A withdrawn case has the same effect as one that is rejected in that the proposed disposal, or change of use, does not happen.

School Playing Fields

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1709W, on school playing fields, how many of the closing schools were being merged; and how many merged schools received the monies raised by the sales of the playing fields.

Jim Knight: The Department's records do not show which, or how many, of the closed or closing schools were being merged.

Science and Innovation Investment Framework

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what progress has been made in implementing the proposals contained within the Science and Innovation Investment Framework 2004-14: Next Steps; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: We are making good progress towards implementing the commitments. The consultation document The reform of higher education research assessment and funding was published on 13 June. We are working with partners such as the Training and Development Agency for Schools, and Science Learning Centres to deliver a range of other commitments. For example, we have commissioned the Science, Engineering, Technology and Mathematics Network (SETNET) to recruit an extra 6,000 science engineering ambassadors by 2007-08. We have also remitted the School Teachers' Review Body (STRB) to advise on improving the use of current pay flexibilities and incentives to improve the recruitment, retention and quality of science teachers; and on whether science teachers should receive an incentive to encourage them to complete physics and chemistry enhancement CPD leading to an accredited qualification.

Sexual Exploitation (Children)

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many projects providing support to children who have experienced sexual exploitation  (a) are located in England and  (b) have closed in the last two years.

Parmjit Dhanda: There is no central record of Government funds given specifically to projects that provide support to children who have experienced sexual exploitation. Support services such as these are delivered through many different funding initiatives, central, local and voluntary and across a wide variety of different organisations in both the voluntary sector and health related services. It is therefore also not possible to identify those projects that have closed within the last two years.

Special Educational Needs

John Bercow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans he has to make special educational needs training modules compulsory at initial teacher training level.

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  what funding has been made available to schools to provide for in-service training on special educational needs in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on his policy on this issue;
	(2)  what proportion of schools have special educational needs co-ordinators; and how many of these are qualified teachers;
	(3)  what plans he has to ensure that special educational needs training modules which are being piloted at initial teacher training level are available at all higher education institutions in England.

Parmjit Dhanda: In order to be awarded Qualified Teacher Status, all trainee teachers must demonstrate that they understand their responsibilities under the statutory Special Educational Needs Code of Practice, know how to seek advice from specialists on less common types of SEN, can differentiate their teaching to meet the needs of pupils, including those with SEN, and can identify and support pupils who experience behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.
	The current standards for teachers are under review. Once revised, it is proposed that they will be strengthened to include a standard which requires teachers to know and comply with current legislation on well being of children and young people, one which requires teachers to know and understand the role of others when dealing with children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and one which requires teachers to communicate effectively with parents and carers.
	Induction Standards require Newly Qualified Teachers to demonstrate that they can plan effectively to meet the needs of pupils in their classes with SEN, with or without a statement, and in consultation with the school's SEN Co-ordinator, can contribute to the planning for individual needs.
	Once qualified, all teachers are expected to discuss their own development needs in performance management reviews, and to address development priorities. This could include strengthening knowledge and understanding of SEN and disability issues. Where schools have identified a need to strengthen knowledge and understanding of SEN/disability, as a school improvement priority, this should be addressed through their school improvement and development plans.
	All schools receive a School Development Grant which they are able to use to support improvements in any aspect of teaching and learning. A wide variety of courses are available covering SEN and disability, ranging from awareness-raising through to in-depth studies leading to specific qualifications. It is, however, a matter for individual teachers and their schools to determine their own particular training and development needs; the Department does not direct the amount to be spent on in-service training in relation to SEN/disability. Local authorities may retain a proportion of this grant, under certain conditions, to provide specific training and development in SEN/disability.
	The Department's published SEN Strategy, 'Removing Barriers to Achievement' recognised the importance of training and committed us to work closely with the Training and Development Agency for Schools to ensure that initial teacher training and programmes of continuing professional development provide a good grounding in core skills and knowledge of SEN. We have commissioned the TDA to carry forward a range of initiatives designed to improve and strengthen the SEN skills and confidence of trainees, newly qualified and established teachers. These initiatives will be implemented over the period 2005-08 at a cost of approximately 1.1 million.
	Within this package of measures, we are working to develop and pilot some specialist modules on SEN for the longer initial teacher training courses but it is too early to comment on possibilities of wider adoption.
	Under the Education (Special Educational Needs) (Information) (England) Regulations 1999, the governing body of every maintained mainstream school must publish prescribed information, including the name of the person who is responsible for co-ordinating the provision of education for pupils with SEN, whether or not the person is known as the SEN Co-ordinator (SENCO). Information on SENCO numbers and status of individual SENCOs is not collected centrally.

Student Loans

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the outstanding loan balance is at the Student Loans Company, broken down by (a) public debt amounts and (b) non-public debt amounts.

Bill Rammell: The total student loan balance outstanding at 31 March 2006 in the UK was 18,665.8 million for publicly-owned loans and 952.2 million for loans sold to the private sector.

Teachers

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many  (a) academies and  (b) fee-paying schools contribute to the teachers' pension scheme; and whether they are subject to the rules relating to increases in salary during the final years before retirement that apply to maintained schools.

Jim Knight: All academies and 1,283 independent schools participate in the teachers' pension scheme (TPS).
	The TPS is a defined benefit scheme that provides a pension and lump sum based on salary at retirement. The teachers' pensions regulations contain provision to restrict the salary used to calculate retirement benefits in circumstances where a scheme member has received substantial increase in salary before retirement. This is to safeguard the scheme against a disproportionate level of pension benefits being paid in relation to the contributions that have been received. The regulations do, however, provide for the employer to make a payment to the scheme to cover the actuarial value of the increased retirement benefits and, if that is paid, the full salary would be used. All provisions of the TPS apply equally to all scheme members regardless of where they are employed.

Teachers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many newly-qualified teachers have been given a probationary teaching post in each of the last five years; how many of these teachers have completed their probationary years successfully in each year; how many have gone on to find permanent jobs with  (a) the education authority with which they were initially placed and  (b) with another authority; how many have found permanent employment in teaching after a period of (i) unemployment, (ii) supply teaching and (iii) other employment; and how many have failed to find permanent teaching posts;
	(2)  how many teachers failed to secure permanent posts for the 2006-07 school year following their probationary period.

Jim Knight: In England teachers who have attained qualified teacher status (QTS) are not given a post for their induction period. It is for newly qualified teachers themselves to find suitable teaching experience. The induction period of three terms need not be continuous service or in a single post. The period should normally be completed within five years of achieving QTS.
	Since 2000 the General Teaching Council for England (GTCE) has recorded the number of newly qualified teachers who have successfully completed their induction. The following table provides this information for each year from 2000 to 2005.
	
		
			  Number of newly qualified teachers passing their teaching induction period in England 2000 to 2005 
			   Number 
			 2000 17,600 
			 2001 20,520 
			 2002 21 ,400 
			 2003 22,770 
			 2004 25,830 
			 2005 27,980 
			 Total 136,100 
			  Source:  General Teaching Council for England. 
		
	
	In addition the GTCE also records how many teachers remain in teaching service after passing their induction period. In June 2006, of the teachers who had passed their induction since 2000, 81 per cent. were recorded as being in teaching service. Of the remainder some 16 per cent. were known to have left the profession. The status of four per cent. was unknown. It is not known how many of the teachers who are in teaching service are with the employer with whom they passed their induction, or how many are in a permanent post. The employment status of teachers during any gaps in service prior to finding a permanent post is also unknown.

Teachers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of working days were missed by teachers because of stress-related conditions in the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority area.

Jim Knight: The information requested is not collected centrally for England. Teacher sickness absence in Scotland is a matter for the Scottish Executive.

Teachers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the cost of sickness pay to teachers was in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Jim Knight: There are no figures available in respect of the cost of sickness pay to teachers. Teachers are employed by governing bodies and local authorities and as such figures of this nature may be available at individual local authority level, but are not gathered nationally by the Department.

Teachers

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers have retired on grounds of stress-related illness in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: The information is not available in the format requested.
	The following table provides ill health retirements by diagnosis in each 12 month period from 1 October 2002, the earliest date from which data have been collected in this form. The figures given are for England and Wales only. Ill health retirements for teachers in Scotland are a matter for the Scottish Executive.
	
		
			  Ill health retirements by diagnosis( 1) 
			  Diagnosis  2002-03( 2)  2003-04( 2)  2004-05( 2) 
			 Blood and Blood Forming Organs 25 25 25 
			 Chronic Fatigue Syndrome 65 60 60 
			 Circulatory 160 130 135 
			 Congenital Malformations 5 5 (3) 
			 Digestive 30 45 35 
			 Ear and Mastoid Process 70 80 80 
			 Endocrine, Nutritional and Metabolic 30 30 20 
			 Eye and Adnexa 35 25 30 
			 Genitourinary 30 20 15 
			 Infectious and Parasitic Diseases (3) 0 0 
			 Injury, Poisoning and Other External Causes 30 30 40 
			 Mental and Behavioural Disorders 865 905 785 
			 MusculoskeletalBack 210 195 195 
			 MusculoskeletalNon Back 130 115 115 
			 Neoplasms 245 260 255 
			 Nervous System 160 155 170 
			 Perinatal Period (3) 0 0 
			 Respiratory 70 70 70 
			 Skin and Subcutaneous Tissue 10 5 5 
			 (1) Figures are for ill health retirements from all education sectors in England and Wales pensionable under the teachers' pensions scheme. (2) Each year covers the period 1 October to 30 September. (3) Equals less than 5.  Note: Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.  Source: DfES medical advisers.

Teaching (Foreign Languages)

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many and what percentage of  (a) primary and  (b) secondary school children in the East Riding of Yorkshire have been taught at least one foreign language in each of the last nine years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: The Department does not collect data on the number of primary school children learning languages. However, the most recent Headspace survey indicated that 56 per cent. of all primary schools in England were offering language learning programmes to their pupils. The Department is able to provide details only on the number and percentage of pupils who were entered for a GCSE or A level foreign language and not those who were taught a foreign language in their time at secondary school. These figures were provided in the combined response to PQs 81445 and 81446.
	To support primary language learning programmes in the East Riding of Yorkshire, the local authority was allocated 144,615.16 via the standards fund in 2006-07. The figure is made up of a lump sum of 80,000 and a pro rata amount for the added number of Key Stage 2 pupils within the authority.

Universities (Research)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if he will make a statement on his plans to implement a new method of research funding for universities; and whom he has consulted thereon.

Bill Rammell: On 13 June, my Department published consultation proposals for the future assessment and funding of higher education research. The proposals are available online at www.dfes.gov.uk/consultations and anyone who wishes to may respond to them. The closing date for responses is 13 October.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Departmental Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Gareth Thomas: DFID periodically engages temporary staff, both administrative and professional, through employment agencies. Only some information on agency hourly rates is held centrallyfor those agencies who supply DFID regularly. The average hourly rate for these agencies, who supply mainly junior administrative grades, is as follows:
	 Grade C2
	7.30 Glasgow, Margaret Hodge Recruitment Agency
	7.46 Glasgow, TempTeam
	 Grade C1
	8.75 Glasgow, Margaret Hodge Recruitment Agency
	10.98 London, Josephine Sammonds
	Information on average hourly rates for the years before 2005-06 is not readily available.
	Other agencies are used on an ad hoc basis but information about these agencies is not held centrally and could be secured only at disproportionate cost.
	DFID will be joining an existing framework arrangement, set up by the Prison Service, this year and once this comes into force information will be more readily available.

Armenia

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on UK aid to Armenia.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's bilateral programme in Armenia is focused on supporting public administration and public financial management reforms and regional development. We are also working jointly with the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development to help the Government develop a financing strategy for the water sector. We are supporting projects, funded from a multilateral trust fund set up by the World Bank and DFID, to rehabilitate communal heating systems and to provide affordable water and wastewater services for poor communities. Our bilateral programme allocation in 2006-7 is 3.7 million.
	Since 2003 the UK has provided 3.2 million to support conflict resolution. These funds are provided from the joint FCO/DFID/MOD Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP).The Consortium Initiative, comprising three international non-government organisations, is managing a programme which aims to help resolve the dispute over Nagorno Karabakh. In view of Armenia's achieving middle income country status in January 2006 we have informed the Government of Armenia that DFID's bilateral programme will end in 2008. Thereafter, DFID support will be provided through our share of the programmes of the multilateral agencies. In 2004, the most recent year for which figures are available, the UK's imputed share of these programmes was 3.4 million.

Bangladesh

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what UK aid programmes for Bangladesh relate to governance and human rights; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: Better governance is at the heart of DFID's programme in Bangladesh because it is key to delivering better services such as water, health and education to poor people. In turn, human rightsparticularly the right to education, the right to water, the right to health and the right to securitycan only be protected if governance improves.
	Within the DFID programme a number of activities are specifically aimed at improving governance and human rights:
	 In partnership with Government of Bangladesh
	(1) The Governance Instrument(1) is a programme which supports the Government-led anti-corruption programmesinitially in education and water supplyleading to improved governance and better quality services for poor people.
	(2) Managing at the Top (MATT) 2 is a programme which promotes reform and builds management and administrative capacity within senior levels of the Bangladesh civil service.
	(3) Police Reform Programme in partnership with UNDP, is helping put in place policing which is more responsive to the needs of poor and vulnerable people.
	(4) Financial Management Reform Programme is strengthening public financial management systems in the Ministry of Finance and selected line ministries, so they are better able to provide accurate and timely financial information to Government policy makers and others.
	(5) Reforms in Revenue Administration is building the capacity of the National Board of Revenue to administer tax legislation, particularly with regard to VAT and Direct Taxation.
	 In partnership with Civil Society
	(1) Manusher Jonno Human Rights and Governance Programme is building the capacity of poor men, women and children to demand their rights and seek more accountable government.
	(2) SAMATA is a non-government organisation which helps poor people secure land rights.
	(3) Nijera Kori Social Mobilisation is an advocacy programme which promotes greater dialogue between the political elite and civil society, so that poor women and men can better understand and take part in decision-making processes.
	(4) Transparency International, Bangladesh promotes greater transparency in the public, non profit and private sectors.
	(5) Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust provides access to legal services, and promotes increased access to justice for poor Bangladeshis.
	 In partnership with Media/Political Governance
	(1) BBC Sanglap is a series of debates on the BBC World Service Bangla service which provides one of the few spaces for open political debate in Bangladesh.
	(2) Election activities. Elections are due to take place in January 2007. DFID is supporting civil society to undertake election monitoring, and prevention and monitoring of election violence.
	DFID is committed to helping Bangladesh to become a more effective state, working with Government, civil society and citizens to improve governance and security; increase economic growth; improve public services and tackle climate change. The programme has a particular focus on protecting the rights of the very poorest.
	We are in the process of finalising our new Country Assistance Plan for Bangladesh (2007 to 2013), at the heart of which will be support to improved governance (in line with the priorities set out in our recent White Paper).
	(1) Formally called Unlocking the Potential: Supporting Government's Service Delivery and Anti-Corruption Activities

Central Emergency Response Fund

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what timetable he has set for the fulfilment of the Government's pledge to provide $1 for every $3 other donors have committed to the UN central emergency response fund in addition to the 40 million already paid.

Hilary Benn: The commitment to provide an additional UK contribution to the CERF of $1 for every $3 provided by others is triggered once the total amount contributed by other donors exceeds $210 million in the calendar year. At present, this total is $202 million. If it reaches $210 million by the end of December, our additional contribution will be triggered.
	In January 2007, the second year of the CERF will start. The UK will again provide 40 million in line with our multi-year commitment of an additional 120 million over the next three years. If other donors provide more than $210 million next calendar year, our additional input will be triggered. We hope that this formula will remain an incentive for others to contribute to the CERF.

Central Emergency Response Fund

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to question 87467, on the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), what estimate he has made of when the CERF will run out of funds if no further replenishment is forthcoming.

Hilary Benn: The main factors affecting the rate at which the CERF is used are the number of humanitarian crises occurring at any given time, and the extent to which donors are contributing additional funds. Six months after its launch, over half of the CERF funds have already been committed by the UN's Emergency Relief Co-ordinator to support humanitarian crises across the world. In the unlikely event that other donors did not contribute for a second year to the Fund, we would estimate that the funds might run out in the second quarter of next year.
	We are working with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and other like-minded donors to encourage others to continue to contribute to the CERF on a regular, and preferably multi-year, basis, so that it is constantly replenished. To assist in this process, OCHA is planning to hold the first donor replenishment conference on 7 December.
	In addition to the initial 40 million commitment, the UK has committed a further 120 million to the CERF over the next three years.

Central Emergency Response Fund

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to question 87467, on the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), whether there is a timetable for further funding announcements from  (a) the UK and  (b) UN members.

Hilary Benn: On 7 June 2006, I announced a further package of UK funding for the CERF, amounting to 120 million (40 million per year) for the three years 2007-09. During this time, we will monitor closely the use and effectiveness of the CERF, and a decision on future UK funding will be taken in due course in the light of this.
	The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), which manages the CERF, plans to hold annual replenishment conferences at which donors may pledge further contributions to the CERF. This does not preclude announcements of further funding for the CERF at any other time. OCHA are tentatively proposing holding the first donor replenishment conference on 7 December this year.

Colombia

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) internally displaced people in and  (b) refugees from Colombia there have been in each year since 2002; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: It is difficult to establish accurate numbers in each year since 2002. According to the Colombian Government, an estimated 1,148,000 people were internally displaced over the period 2000-2003. The Colombian non-government organisation, Consultancy for Human Rights and Development (CODHES), reported 1,247,000 internally displaced people over the same period. CODHES reported some 250,000 displacements in 2004 and similar numbers in 2005. According to Colombian Government figures, the total number of internally displaced people in Colombia is 2.5-3.0 million. NGO estimates suggest the number could be up to 3.3 million.
	Estimated numbers of refugees from Colombia are not available by year. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that there are currently 250,000 displaced Colombians in Ecuador (37,000 refugee and asylum seekers), 12,500 in Panama (2,200 refugee and asylum seekers) and 206,300 in Venezuela (6,300 refugee and asylum seekers).

Commission for Africa

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether the Government are on track to implement the recommendations made by the Commission for Africa.

Hilary Benn: The Commission for Africa report set out a comprehensive set of recommendations for both Africa and the developed world for tackling poverty on the continent. In March 2006, we published a detailed report on the UK's contribution to taking forward these recommendations for and delivery of G8 commitments. The report is in the Libraries of both Houses, on DFID's website (www.dfid.gov.uk) and was sent directly to all Members of Parliament.
	Many of the Commission for Africa recommendations were taken up at the G8 Summit at Gleneagles and turned into commitments. We published a booklet in June 2006G8 Gleneagles: One Year On: Turning Talk into Actionthat highlighted 12 areas, from aid and debt cancellation to fighting disease and promoting business, across which G8 commitments are being followed through (while recognising that much remains to be done). We also produce monthly progress reports against a Gleneagles Implementation Plan for Africa, which sets out international milestones that need to be met to stay on track to deliver G8 commitments. This is also in the Libraries of both Houses and is available on DFID's website.
	The UK's new White Paper on Eliminating World PovertyMaking Governance Work For the Poor sets out what the UK will do with the international community to deliver the promises we made last year.

Commission for Africa

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer of 10 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 1800-1801W, on the Commission for Africa, what meetings he has had with ministerial colleagues to monitor implementation of Commission for Africa and G8 commitments.

Hilary Benn: On 25 July, I chaired a meeting of ministerial colleagues across Whitehall which focused on delivery of G8 commitments, many of which were Commission for Africa recommendations. At this meeting, we agreed a set of milestones that we believe the international community need to meet by July 2007 to ensure we are on track to deliver G8 commitments. These milestones are included in the September update of the Gleneagles Implementation Plan for Africa which is deposited in the Libraries of both houses and available on DFID's website (http://www.dfid.gov.uk/g8/milestones.asp).
	I discussed with Cabinet colleagues the UK's new White Paper on Eliminating World PovertyMaking Governance Work For the Poor, which sets out what the UK will do with the international community to deliver the promises we made last year. For example, during my visit to Mozambique with the Chancellor in April, we committed 8.5 billion over the next 10 years to support long-term education plans to help meet the target of getting all children into school by 2015. At the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Annual Meetings in Singapore in September, seventeen African countries reported substantial progress on developing these long term education plans.

Computer Equipment

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) USB (i) flash drives and (ii) memory sticks,  (b) compact discs,  (c) DVD-ROM discs,  (d) laptop computers,  (e) external computers hard drives,  (f) internal computer hard drives and  (g) desktop computers were purchased for use in his Department in each month since March 2005.

Gareth Thomas: The number purchased by DFID centrally in the UK for this period are as follows:
	
		
			   (a) USB memory devices  (b) Compact discs  (c) DVD-ROM discs  (d) Laptop computers  (e) External hard drives  (f) Internal hard drives  (g) Desktop computers 
			  2005
			 March 47 550 100 43 109 25 6 
			 April 44   52 11  1,900 
			 May 24 575 100  4   
			 June 51 250 80 155 1 15  
			 July 67 290 130  2 42  
			 August 37 80  145 6 81  
			 September 55 505  
			 October 54 100  3 5 2  
			 November 34 180  2  52  
			 December 43 450  53  50  
			  2006
			 January 82 300  55 4 55  
			 February 23   51 3 67  
			 March 23 150  61  86 20 
			 April 25 30  
			 May 19 50  
			 June 47 300 100 2  49  
			 Total 675 3,275 510 622 145 609 1,926 
		
	
	DFID's records do not distinguish between different types of USB memory devices, so the totals of such devices are shown in column (a).
	The period reported on includes a planned technology refresh programme for all desktop computers and a proportion of laptop computers in DFID. This programme enabled DFID to obtain a highly competitive price for a bulk purchase of desktop computers in April 2005, which is reflected in the figures.
	Desktop and laptop computers are purchased centrally in the UK for all DFID offices worldwide. Some smaller electronic devices and consumables are purchased locally overseas. These local purchases are not included in the figures in the table as records are not held centrally, and could not be included without incurring a disproportionate cost.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure food is supplied to the population in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Hilary Benn: Ituri is one of the areas of the Democratic Republic of Congo most affected by insecurity. Current estimates from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) suggest that there are over 200,000 internally displaced people (IDPs). The worst affected area is around the villages of Gety and Aveba, where over 40,000 people have sought shelter in camps. Attacks on these IDPs and on international non-governmental organisation (NGO) staff by rebel groups make it extremely difficult to provide support for these people, many of whom had been hiding in the surrounding forests for some time. Shortages in food supplies and logistical constraints have compounded a very serious humanitarian situation.
	However the situation has now stabilised and food and other support is reaching people in the camps. Food rations supplied by the World Food Programme (WFP) were being distributed in Gety during the visit of one of DFID's humanitarian experts in the second half of September. Additional resources have been allocated to WFP in DRC this year to cover food, transport and logistics costs through the Central Emergency Relief Fund (CERF) and the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund. Both these funds were established with strong encouragement from DFID and the UK is a major contributor to both.
	The people of Ituri region are likely to continue to suffer from uncertainty and instability and we and our partners in the UN and NGOs will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the total carbon emissions from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: The estimated carbon emissions from DFID UK estate from 1999(1) are:
	
		
			  Year  Estimated Carbon Emissions 
			 1999-2000 686,182 
			 2000-2001 728,763 
			 2001-2002 756,814 
			 2002-2003 771,179 
			 2003-2004 1,011,155 
			 2004-2005 1 ,046,422 
			 2005-2006 1,114,132 
			 ( 1)No data available prior to 1999 
		
	
	DFID is strongly committed to the targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate which were revised in June 2006. DFID achieved very good and excellent BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Methodology) ratings for the last refurbishments of the UK estate. The increase in levels of carbon emissions in recent years has mainly been due to increased staffing levels, new IT systems/equipment requiring new test and production environments, and more IT equipment supporting our overseas estate.
	DFID has recently signed up to the Carbon Trust (CT) Framework Agreement. The CT consultants have now conducted an energy audit of both UK offices and concluded that the buildings are well operated and maintained and inherently energy efficient. We are nevertheless working with the CT to make further improvements to our energy efficiency through such measures as energy efficiency campaigns.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what child care  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to his Department's staff.

Gareth Thomas: To support parents in making their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their children, the Department for International Development (DFID) offers a number of options.
	We introduced a salary sacrifice scheme in April 2005. This enables our employees to take part of their salary in child care vouchers and generates a tax and national insurance saving for the employee. This scheme offers the advantage of supporting parents to make their own choices about where and what type of child care they want for their child. From April to July 2006, 36,521.22 was the total value of vouchers obtained by employees through salary sacrifice of which 33,615.68 was exempt from tax and national insurance.
	DFID also reimburses child care expenses for parents who are required to work or travel on days they would not normally work. 22 employees have been reimbursed this financial year, amounting to 8,641.25.
	DFID provides a holiday playscheme on site for its employees in London as part of the Westminster Holiday Playscheme. The scheme is administered and run by BUPA Childcare under contract. DFID is one of four sites in Central London open to participating Government Departments. 12 DFID parents have used the playscheme in this financial year, at a cost of 1,365.78. This is half of the total cost of playscheme places, with DFID subsidising parents' costs by 50 per cent.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which of his Department's premises have child care facilities on site.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) provides child care facilities on the premises of its London office. This is in the form of a holiday playscheme, part of the Westminster Holiday Playscheme, administered and run by BUPA Childcare on contract. The scheme is open to participating Government Departments, and takes children between the ages of four years 10 months (as long as they are in full-time education) and 12 years. The Westminster Holiday Playscheme caters for 96 children in total, 36 of which are able to use the DFID site.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which his Department provides for its employees.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) does not maintain a waiting list for staff who are unable to obtain places on the Westminster Holiday Playscheme. The administration is dealt with by the child care providers, BUPA Childcare, and they maintain a centralised waiting list for unsuccessful parents from all of the participating Government Departments, allocating places when they become available. Places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Departmental Employees (Criminal Activity)

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many of his Department's employees have been  (a) dismissed,  (b) suspended and  (c) subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's disciplinary procedure is fully compliant with UK legislation and applies to civil servants working in the UK and overseas. We also apply it to our locally appointed staff overseas, who work under local contracts, unless local law dictates otherwise. The procedure covers serious criminal or other unlawful acts, which may be regarded as gross misconduct justifying summary dismissal and, in some case, criminal prosecution.
	DFID did not hold a central disciplinary record until October 2004. There has been only one disciplinary case, in 2005, relating to an unlawful act involving a locally appointed member of staff overseas which resulted in dismissal.

Departmental Pensions

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many pensions his Department has recently overpaid; what total amount such overpayments represent; what proportion of these overpayments his Department expects to recover; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: The Department for International Development (DFID) is responsible for pension costs for staff leaving on early departure grounds only (excluding ill health retirement). The Department is responsible for meeting the full costs of compensation, including the early payment of pensions until age 60. We are not aware of any recent overpayments of these pensions.
	Capita Hartshead is responsible for paying all civil service pensions after age 60. Capita Hartshead provides this service under contract to the Cabinet Office who are the managers of the civil service pension schemes.
	Pension awards for DFID staff who are members of the civil service pension arrangements are calculated by our pensions administrator, Paymaster. The awards are based on information on salary and service provided by DFID to Paymaster. We are not aware of any errors in the awards calculated.
	DFID does however pay pensions to former colonial public servants and their dependants. The following tables show the number of overpaid pensions recorded together with those recovered, written off and actively being pursued: (a) in the financial year 2005-06 and (b) in the current financial year, for the period to 31 July.
	By far the majority of recorded overpayments relate to part month recoveries resulting from death notifications being received after the current month's pension payment had been made, almost all of which are recovered in a short period of time. Overpaid pensions represent only a very small percentage of the total value of pensions paid.
	
		
			  Financial year 2005-06 
			   Number  Value () 
			 Overpayments 455 260,650.55 
			 Recovered 338 219,533.92 
			 Being pursued 96 15,133.42 
			 Written off 21 25,983.21 
		
	
	
		
			  Financial year 2006-07 (to 31 July 2006) 
			   Number  Value () 
			 Overpayments 181 90,406.14 
			 Recovered 61 60,240.17 
			 Being pursued 115 27,855.63 
			 Written off 5 2,310.34 
			  Note: In 2005-06 DFID made a total of 219,004 colonial pension payments to a value of 114.8 million. The equivalent figures for 2006-07 (to July 2006) are 70,105 and 37.2 million respectively.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Gareth Thomas: Publications issued by DFID since 1 July 2005 are listed in the following table. This sets out the total quantity produced as a full account of circulation for each individual title would incur disproportionate cost. The titles issued have been produced by teams across the Departmentsome for a broad public audience, others for more specialist stakeholders. DFID publications are generally available for free from the website, www.dfid.gov.uk, and many of the more specialist titles are now produced in electronic format only. Evaluation studies have been listed separately.
	
		
			  Printed publications issued by DFID 
			  Title  Quantity  Design/print cost () 
			 1. G8 Africa Action Plan: UK Progress Report 2,000 9,423 
			 2. Progress report by the G8 Africa Personal Representatives on the implementation of the Africa Action Plan 2,000 9,207 
			 3. Developments magazine issue 30 55,000 24,958 
			 4. Developments: Special Local Government Edition 30,000 11,362 
			 5. Intelligence and security legislation for security sector reform 500 1,932 
			 6. National Security decision-making structures and security sector reform 500 1,982 
			 7. DFID interim strategy for Afghanistan 2005/06 (1)  
			 8. Aids communication 4,000 9,483 
			 9. Reducing poverty by tackling social exclusion 3,000 3,511 
			 10. Jamaica Country Assistance Plan 3,000 4,045 
			 11. Social Transfers and chronic poverty 3,000 3,224 
			 12. Cambodia Country Assistance Plan (English and Khmer) 3,000 9,902 
			 13. The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) Institutional Strategy 500 2,825 
			 14. Developments magazine issue 31 (included free CD on cover) 55,000 32,050 
			 15. DFID and the Private Sector 3,000 13,380 
			 16. Trade Matters 150,000 96,214 
			 17. The challenge of TB and malaria control 1,500 3,601 
			 18. Harm reduction: tackling drug use and HIV in the developing world 6,000 1,545 
			 19. A better future: DFID support for Palestinians 5,000 7,555 
			 20. The United Nations Development Programme Institutional Strategy 3,000 4,861 
			 21. 2005 Autumn Performance Report. 1,000 7,756 
			 22. Disasters and emergencies overseas: how you can help 500,000 56,500 
			 23. Growth and poverty reduction: the role of agriculture 3,000 6,471 
			 24. Eliminating World Poverty: a consultation document (White Paper consultation document) 24,000 11,145 
			 25. Voices of change: Strategic radio support achieving the Millennium Development Goals 2,000 7,405 
			 26. Developments magazine issue 32 70,000 31,310 
			 27. Listening and learning. Measuring the impact of Communication for Development. 2,000 3,740 
			 28. Implementation of the Commission for Africa recommendations and G8 Gleneagles' commitments on poverty 3,000 13,906 
			 29. DFlD's approach to the environment 3,000 3,360 
			 30. Southern Africa Regional Plan 3,000 5,645 
			 31. The UK and the World Bank 2005 500 4,361 
			 32. Reducing the Risk of DisastersHelping to Achieve Sustainable Poverty Reduction in a Vulnerable World: A DFID policy paper 3,000 4,854 
			 33. World Food Programme Institutional Strategy 2,000 3,000 
			 34. Civil Society and Development 1,500 3,964 
			 35. Eliminating World Poverty: the White Paper speeches 2006 5,000 9,501 
			 36. DFID Departmental Report 2006 3,000 76,230 
			 37. Developments magazine issue 33 70,000 24,415 
			 38. Development Works 52 weeks a year 50,000 54,875 
			 39. G8 Gleneagles: One year onTurning Talk into Action 230,000 46,112 
			 40. China Country Assistance Plan (English and Chinese versions) 2,000 2,318 
			 41. Saving lives, relieving suffering, protecting dignity: DFlD's Humanitarian Policy 3,000 6,074 
			 42. Eliminating world poverty: Making governance work for the poor: A White Paper on International Development 10,000 36,115 
			 43. Easy guide to Eliminating world poverty 1.5 million 65,445 
			 44. Common Institutional Strategy for the Asian Development bank by the Governments of Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, Turkey and the United Kingdom 2,000 2,030 
			 45. Joint Strategic Framework for Partnership with the African Development Bank by the Governments of Germany, the Netherlands, Portugal and the United Kingdom 2,000 2,339 
			 46. Developments magazine issue 34 70,000 24,847 
			 47. Quick Impact Projects. A handbook for the military (booklet + CD Rom) 1,200 5,715 
			 48. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) Canada, Sweden and the UK: A Joint Institutional Approach Working together with UNICEF for the World's Children 3,000 5,635 
			 (1) Produced by FCO. 
		
	
	 Electronic only titles
	Formatted titlesno production costs incurred.
	1. Social protection and economic growth in poor countries.
	2. How to work effectively with global funds and partnershipsoverview how to note and detailed toolkit, Global and Country Partnerships for Human Development.
	3. Infrastructure and pro-poor growth, Pro-Poor Growth team.
	4. Managing the fiduciary risk associated with social cash transfer programmes.
	5. How to provide technical cooperation.
	6. Water Action Plan update.
	7. Guidance on aid instruments.
	8. Good practice in transforming or closing bilateral programmes, Donor Policy and Partnerships.
	9. The importance of secondary, vocational and higher education to development, Education and Skills team.
	
		
			  Evaluation studies 
			  Title  Quantity  Design/print cost () 
			 1. General budget supportSynthesis (multi donor report, chaired by DFID) 500 11,995 
			 2. General budget supportBurkina Faso Country report 150 5,898 
			 3. General budget supportMalawi Country report 150 4,299 
			 4. General budget supportMozambique Country report 150 5,720 
			 5. General budget supportNicaragua Country report 150 5,258 
			 6. General budget supportRwanda Country report 150 5,770 
			 7. General budget supportUganda Country report 150 7,320 
			 8. General budget supportVietnam Country report 150 4,890 
			 9. Country programmes: Bangladesh 150 1,170 
			 10. Country programmes: Ghana 150 1,470 
			 11. Country programmes: Malawi 150 1,463 
			 12. Country programmes: Mozambique 200 (1) 
			 13. Country programmes. Rwanda 150 1,501 
			 14. Conflict in Northern Uganda 150 1,271 
			 15. Project completion review 150 3,550 
			 16. Humanitarian and reconstruction assistance to Afghanistan (2)  
			 17. DFID/World Bank impact evaluation (3)  
			 18. World Bank support to maternal and child health outcomes (Bangladesh) (3)  
			 19. Gender audit methodology (Malawi) (4)  
			 20. HIV and AIDS evaluation designInception report (5)  
			 21. Taking Action: The UK Government's strategy for tackling HIV and AIDS in the developing world (interim evaluation) 400 14,246 
			 22. Developing capacity? Technical cooperation in sub-Saharan Africa 250 3,197 
			 23. DFID's policy and practice in support of gender equality and women's empowermentSynthesis study 400 3,050 
			 24. DFID's policy and practice in support of gender equality and women's empowermentCountry case study 220 (1) 
			 25. DFID's policy and practice in support of gender equality and women's empowermentThematic study 220 (1) 
			 26. India development effectiveness report 400 (1) 
			 (1 )Invoice due.  (2) Produced by Danida.  (3) Produced by World Bank.  (4) Produced by ODI. (5) Electronic only.

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is considering introducing a cycle to work scheme in the next 18 months as part of a package of flexible benefits we are planning under our HR Transformation project.
	DFID staff can currently apply for a bicycle advance to cover the cost of a bike and any safety or security equipment up to a total of 500. Seven staff applied for and received an advance in the last 12 months. The advance is repaid over a period of 12 months (or the period of appointment if shorter).
	DFID's intranet has information on Green Issues which includes a section called On Your Bike. The Department has a Bike Buddy Scheme through which experienced cyclists help new cyclists to learn the best routes and gain confidence. DFID also advertises local cycle routes in our offices and has increased the number of bicycle racks and lockers in our two UK locations.
	Other measures which help promote cycling include DFID joining the London Cycling Campaign as an affiliate member. Through this membership, staff can obtain a discount for their own individual membership. The campaign's website offers cyclists a wide variety of helpful information and advice, including an All abilities cycling guide for those with disabilities. There are also links to the websites of other cycling organisations.

Developing Countries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the impact of policies of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank which have the effect of capping the amount of public spending in developing countries receiving aid from those institutions.

Hilary Benn: The policies of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank are designed to support country led development strategies, including their public spending plans. These include policies to support economic stability, promote the effective use of higher levels of aid and to build the capacity of public services.
	Economic stability is important if poverty is to be reduced. It is a foundation for growth, for avoiding inflation that harms the poor and for ensuring countries can sustain long term investments in public services. All countries face constraints in deciding on appropriate levels of domestic deficits and borrowing. The IMF's dialogue and advice helps countries establish budget policies that achieve and maintain stability. This includes agreeing with countries on the budget limits that are central to their fiscal policies. These limits avoid unsustainable deficits that will force countries to cut back on their future spending. These policies support long-term spending plans that are central to strengthening public services.
	The IMF and the World Bank are both committed to helping developing countries manage larger aid flows to support public service investments that reduce poverty. The IMF helps countries with advice on policies to manage the macroeconomic consequences of larger aid flows. It promotes long term predictable aid that can finance higher public spending without excessive borrowing and adjusts the fiscal targets in its programmes to support higher aid backed spending. The World Bank plays a leading role in supporting countries' own poverty reduction strategies. It is a major global provider of aid to finance these strategies. The Bank also plays a central role in helping countries mobilise further aid to support their spending plans by coordinating overall donor support and ensuring aid is provided in an effective manner. The Bank is heavily involved in international efforts to strengthen key public services such as the Fast Track Initiative for education. All these policies provide direct support for public service investments. The IMF and the World Bank have made a further major contribution with the resources they have committed through the Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. This will help provide developing countries with the long-term predictable funding they need to help finance critical services like health and education.

Disabled Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much was paid to his Department from the Access to Work Scheme for adjustments for disabled staff in the last year for which figures are available; from what budget he plans to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff following withdrawal of Access to Work funding for central Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: In 2005-06 DFID received funding of 780.36 from Access to Work towards the cost of providing specially adapted chairs for three staff.
	All future costs of reasonable adjustments will be met from DFID's central administration budget. We intend to consider existing and future funding arrangements in the upcoming review of how we manage disability in DFID.

Disaster Risks

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his Department's priorities are for disaster risk reduction measures in each region of the world.

Gareth Thomas: In March 2006 DFID launched a new Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) policy setting out its renewed commitment to tackling this issue. The overarching priorities of the policy are to:
	strengthen the international system's and national and regional institutions' capacities to deal with DRR;
	integrate DRR more effectively into development policy and planning;
	reduce the vulnerability of the poor to disaster risk.
	DFID's DRR work is focused on 14 of the most disaster prone countries from across three regionsAfrica, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean. These countries are: Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, Vietnam, Bolivia, Guyana, Jamaica and Nicaragua.
	DFID's priority across all regions over the next 18 months is to integrate DRR more effectively into development programmes within DFID, and also in developing country governments and other development organisations within the international community. DFID staff in disaster-prone countries will be trained in the necessary skills and knowledge to do this. DFID is working in partnership with the international community in pushing this work forward. For example, DFID is providing 4.3 million to the World Bank for a programme to incorporate DRR more effectively into poverty reduction strategies and approximately 15 million to NGOs undertaking community level DRR work in disaster-prone countries.
	Regionally, DFID's priorities are, within Africa, to reduce risk and vulnerability. We are working in five African countries to establish food safety net programmes for delivering regular grants of cash and food to the poorest. In Asia, DFID is working to ensure that additional money allocated to the region following the series of major natural disasters in 2004-06 is spent effectively. This has arisen from DFID's commitment to allocate 10 per cent. of its funding in response to each natural disaster for DRR. As a result, DFID is providing 6.5 million for DRR work in the Asia tsunami-affected region, an additional 5.8 million following the 2005 earthquake in Pakistan and 500,000 following the 2006 earthquake in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In Latin America and the Caribbean DFID has been working with its partners to reduce the damaging impacts of rapid onset emergencies such as hurricanes. Throughout the 2005 and 2006 hurricane seasons we have placed a dedicated Humanitarian/DRR adviser in the Caribbean to take forward this work with regional partners.

Disaster Risks

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps his Department is taking with the  (a) World Bank and  (b) UN to ensure that disaster risk reduction measures are included as a key issue in poverty reduction strategies.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is committed to reducing the risk of disasters in developing countries and in March 2006 published a new policy on Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). A key aim of this policy is to work in partnership with the World Bank to ensure that DRR measures are incorporated into disaster-prone countries' national level planning processes, including Poverty Reduction Strategies (PRSs). To this end DFID will provide 4.38 million over the next three years for a World Bank programme to integrate DRR more effectively into developing countries' planning processes.
	DFID also recognises the important role that the UN plays in integrating DRR into wider development. We are therefore providing 3 million over the next three years to the UN's International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR), the focal point in the UN system for the co-ordination of DRR. The ISDR has overall responsibility for supporting and implementing the Hyogo Framework (adopted at the World Conference on Disaster Reduction in January 2005), a key goal of which is to strengthen and integrate DRR mechanisms into disaster prone countries' development planning.

Environmental Management

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department  (a) is committed to the achievement of environmental management to ISO 14001 standard and  (b) has been externally certified as in compliance with that standard; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: DFID is strongly committed to the targets set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate, and in accordance with these has established Environment Management Systems in both our UK offices in line with the standards set out in ISO 14001. We are not proposing to have the systems externally certified.

Indonesia

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much financial assistance the Government has pledged to Indonesia following the tsunami on 17 July 2006; through which organisations this assistance will be channelled; over what timescale; and what non-financial assistance has been pledged.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not provided any assistance in the wake of the tsunami in Central and West Java because the Government of Indonesia has stated that it does not require international assistance. The Indonesian Minister of People's Welfare has provided 750 million Indonesian Rupiah (43 million) to the local government in Ciasmis, West Java and 250 million Indonesian Rupiah (14.5 million) to the local government in Cilacap, Central Java for their emergency response.
	DFID staff in Jakarta and London continue to monitor the situation and are ready to provide assistance if it is needed.

Indonesia

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  what plans his Department has to assist the Indonesian government in helping Java recover from the recent tsunami, other than through financial aid;
	(2)  what funding his Department has  (a) pledged,  (b) committed and  (c) spent to support areas of Indonesia affected by the recent tsunami.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not provided any assistance in the wake of the tsunami in Central and West Java because the Government of Indonesia has stated that it does not require international assistance. The Indonesian Minister of People's Welfare has provided 750 million Indonesian Rupiah (43 million) to the local government in Ciasmis, West Java and 250 million Indonesian Rupiah (14.5 million) to the local government in Cilacap, Central Java for their emergency response.
	DFID staff in Jakarta and London continue to monitor the situation and are ready to provide assistance if it is needed, including for longer term recovery.

Israel

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what joint projects his Department conducts with Israeli non-governmental organisations.

Hilary Benn: The Global Conflict Prevention Pool, jointly managed by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), DFID and the Ministry of Defence (MOD) is funding the following projects with Israeli non-governmental organisations:
	Peace NowSettlement Watch;
	Ir Aminadvocacy project on status of Jerusalem;
	Council for Peace and Securityadvocacy work on Israeli separation;
	Economic Co-operation FoundationGaza disengagement; and
	HaMoKed/B'TselemFreedom of movement for Palestinians.

IT Contracts

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the value was of each IT contract awarded by his Department in each of the last five years; and who the contractor was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has let three major IT contracts in the last five years.
	The Human Resource system had a projected supplier cost at tender of 1.18 million. The supplier is Northgate HR Ltd, formerly known as Rebus Software Ltd, and the contract was signed in 2001.
	The Quest Electronic Document and Record Management system had a projected supplier base cost at tender of 8.98 million. The projected total supplier cost is 10.76 million. This includes a number of additional cost options available under the original contract. The supplier is LogicaCMG UK Ltd and the contract was signed in 2004.
	The Aries Finance, Procurement and Reporting System, had a projected base supplier cost at tender of 11 million. A number of additional cost options are available under the contract. The supplier is Agresso Ltd and the contract was signed in 2005.
	DFID has also let a number of small IT related contracts. However, our central records do not distinguish IT contracts, so provision of details for these contracts would incur disproportionate costs.

IT Contracts

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the value was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has not abandoned any IT contracts in the last five years.

Middle East

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that humanitarian access is provided for aid agencies in the Middle East.

Hilary Benn: During and since the conflict between Hezbollah and Israel I called for all parties to allow humanitarian access, including during my visit to Lebanon the day after the ceasefire came into force. From the outset DFID has also provided resources to enable UN agencies to provide much-needed logistical capacity, through convoys and shipping, to allow relief supplies to reach those most in need. At the Stockholm Early Recovery Conference on 31 August I and others called for the lifting of the air and sea blockade by Israel. Israel announced the lifting of the blockade on 7 September. DFID also provided 1.5 million to assist efforts to remove dangerous unexploded ordnance to ease access for returnees and humanitarian aid workers and emergency bridging to help assistance reach those in need.
	DFID has seconded a specialist to assist the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs with their work to monitor and facilitate movement and access in the occupied Palestinian territories (oPts). The European Commission (EC), on behalf of the EU and through their chairmanship of the Task Force on Project Implementation, makes regular representations to the Israeli authorities on access issues.
	The British embassy in Tel Aviv made frequent representations to the Israeli Government about the importance of ensuring humanitarian access during the Israel-Lebanon conflict. It also continues regularly to raise issues relating to access and movement into the oPts.

Middle East

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what estimate he has made of the number of child casualties in the Middle East conflict; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	In Lebanon, the UN estimate that one third of the 1,187 people killed, and one third of the 4,398 injured in the conflict were children.
	In Israel, government figures indicate 43 Israeli civilians including seven minors were killed during the conflict. 4,262 civilians were treated in hospitals for injuries. Of these, 33 were seriously wounded, 68 moderately and 1,388 lightly. Another 2,773 were treated for shock and anxiety. There is no breakdown of how many of the injured were children.
	These statistics demonstrate the futility and horror of this conflict and reinforce the need to find a lasting and peaceful solution to the conflict in the Middle East.

Middle East

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the delivery of humanitarian aid in the Middle East conflict.

Hilary Benn: During the recent conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, despite calls from the UK Government and other international partners for all parties to allow unfettered humanitarian access, it was extremely difficult for agencies to operate effectively. The ceasefire quickly eased the situation and a much worse humanitarian crisis was averted. The aid agencies have been working hard to deliver essential relief. We will undertake a monitoring visit in October to assess the effectiveness of humanitarian assistance by agencies supported by DFID. It is important now to ensure that UN Security Council Resolution 1701 is fully implemented so there is no return to conflict.
	In the occupied Palestinian territories (oPts), the main obstacle to effective delivery of humanitarian aid is access. The closure regime and restrictions on movement in the West Bank and, particularly, Gaza frequently hamper the delivery of humanitarian aid. The UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) reports that it has incurred more than US$490,000 in staff cost and US$1.3 million in excess storage and other fees due to restrictions imposed by Israel on UNRWA's personnel and movement of humanitarian goods in 2005.
	DFID has seconded two experts to work with the UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in the oPts. They are supporting OCHA's work on humanitarian access, assisting with monitoring the humanitarian situation and helping to develop a more strategic 2007 humanitarian appeal.

Middle East

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the needs of refugees and internally displaced people from the situation in the Middle East.

Hilary Benn: Having visited Beirut to assess the situation for myself the priority for our humanitarian effort is now to ensure safe return for displaced citizens. To this end, DFID has provided over 1.5 million from our 22.3 million commitment for mine and ordnance awareness and clearance programmes. We are supporting NGOs and UN Agencies providing essential sanitation, health and hygiene supplies to refugees and continue to press for safe and secure access for humanitarian convoys to reach those most in need.
	A further priority is to repair basic civilian infrastructure, namely water and bridges, to assist Southern Lebanon's recovery from the conflict and to help displaced persons return home. The UK's multilateral contributions to the EU and UN emergency funds will assist the reconstruction process, and work erecting the first UK supplied prefabricated bridge began on 13 September.
	The UK responded positively and quickly to the crisis and aid has been getting through. As long as the current ceasefire holds the humanitarian situation in Lebanon is manageable. Maintaining the ceasefire will require the full implementation of UNSCR 1701.
	The situation in Gaza remains difficult. 7,000 people have requested shelter from the UN in response to Israeli shelling and at the height of military operations more than 5,000 were being supported by the UN. On 27 August, the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) closed the schools which were being used as relocation centres and gave refugees a relocation allowance. UNRWA is still providing relocation allowance for 800 families. Other agencies (especially the International Committee of the Red Cross) are providing tents, water and other services for 300 people.

Middle East

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development in what projects the UK is involved in  (a) Israel and  (b) the Palestinian territories.

Hilary Benn: The information is as follows.
	 (a) Israel
	The Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP), which is jointly managed by DFID, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Ministry of Defence (MOD), is providing funding for the following projects:
	Peace NowSettlement Watch.
	Ir Aminadvocacy project on status of Jerusalem.
	Council for Peace and Securityadvocacy work on Israeli separation.
	Economic Co-operation FoundationGaza disengagement.
	HaMoKed/B'Tselemfreedom of movement for Palestinians.
	 (b) Palestinian Territories
	DFID support in the Palestinian Territories is focused on three objectives: supporting prospects for peace, improved delivery of humanitarian and development assistance, and helping to build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions for a future Palestinian state. DFID has provided 176 million since 2001, plus our share of European Community aid. Until a government is formed with a position that reflects the principles set out by the Quartet, UK Government aid will be channelled outside the Palestinian Authority. Current DFID projects and programmes are as follows:
	Support for Palestinian refugees through the United Nations Relief and Works Agency.
	Support for Palestinian basic needs through the Temporary International Mechanism. This EU initiative is providing social allowances, supplies and operating costs to maintain essential services. It was recently extended until 31 December 2006.
	Assistance to the Negotiations Affairs Department to support progress towards a negotiated, two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
	Assistance to build Palestinian anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance capacity.
	Building the capacity of the Palestinian Authority (currently suspended) and civil society organisations on governance and public administration reform.
	Improved analysis of PA institutional development.
	Strategic interventions to support a peace process and economic development.
	The UK Government, through the GCPP, also supports the following projects in the Palestinian Territories:
	Military Liaison Officer for the Palestinians.
	Training Needs Analysis for National Security Forces (currently suspended).
	Military Advisor to the Special Envoy for Disengagement (currently suspended).
	Close protection support for President of the Palestinian Authority.
	Palestinian National Security Doctrine website.
	Palestinian Security Force Assessmentwith US Security Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (currently suspended).
	Palestinian media activities in support of the Roadmap (jointly funded with USAID).
	Financial Liaison Officer to the Palestinian Authority (currently suspended).
	Water Pollution Management in Israel, Jordan and Palestinian Authority.

Palestine

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the Palestinian Negotiations Support Unit.

Hilary Benn: The current phase of DFID support for the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation will end in November 2006. DFID is conducting a completion report reviewing this project over its entire period.
	The review's initial findings are that the project has largely achieved its purpose to ensure: (i) effective support to the Palestinian negotiating teams in preparation for, and during, permanent status negotiations and (ii) support to current work intended to promote the resumption of permanent status talks.
	The main successes of the project have been: the formation of an effective negotiations support team, a comprehensive set of files to inform final status negotiations, valuable legal support including that provided around the Gaza disengagement process, and the implementation of a communications strategy which helped raise awareness domestically and internationally on key Palestinian negotiating positions. Key project weaknesses which prevented full achievement of the project purpose were: the lack of a PLO negotiations strategy or clear PLO structure for prosecuting negotiations, the late emergence of a plan for transferring knowledge from the Support Unit to the PLO, and the need for stronger project management in some areas.

Palestine

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress has been made with the new EU mechanism for funding the Palestinian people; and what contribution the UK is making  (a) financially and  (b) to the running of the fund.

Hilary Benn: The Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) has been delivering basic services since July 2006. By the end of September, around 11,900 health care workers, 51,500 of the poorest Palestinian government workers and 40,000 social hardship cases had received basic allowances. The TIM has also provided 1.73 million litres of fuel for hospitals, clinics and water and sanitation facilities in Gaza. This fuel is powering emergency generators to help keep these vital services working after damage to Gaza's only power station in an Israeli air raid. However, the situation in the Palestinian Territories remains very difficult and the security has deteriorated recently. In Gaza many households continue to receive just 6 to 8 hours of electricity per day, and intermittent electricity supply is affecting all key services. Water supply and sanitation services remain limited, with severe implications for health.
	The UK has offered to contribute up to 12 million to the TIM and has so far committed 9 million of this to specific programmes. 3 million is providing drugs, medical equipment and other essential supplies to hospitals and clinics. Our second 3 million contribution will finance the operation, maintenance and repair of water, sanitation and electricity services in Gaza and the West Bank. The UK will also make a third contribution to pay allowances to the poorest Palestinian government workers, including teachers, who have suffered a severe loss in income over recent months. This is on top of the UK's share of European Community funding through the TIM, which amounts to a further 9 million approximately.
	The European Commission has established a team in Jerusalem to manage the implementation of the TIM. Along with several EU member states, we have seconded expertise to this team.

Palestine

Ian Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how the country assistance plan for Palestine will be adapted under the White Paper proposals.

Hilary Benn: DFID's Country Assistance Plan for Palestinians will aim to contribute to the following:
	(i) supporting prospects for peace; (ii) more effective, accountable and inclusive Palestinian institutions and governance; and (iii) more effective humanitarian and development assistance. These objectives are all directly relevant to the new White Paper. The main challenge to meeting them is that the platform of the current Hamas Government fails to reflect principles set out by the Quartet. We are keeping the situation under close review.

Palestine

Si�n Simon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Palestinian Negotiation Support Unit review.

Hilary Benn: The current phase of DFID support for the Negotiations Affairs Department of the Palestine Liberation Organisation will end in November 2006. DFID is conducting a project completion report reviewing this project over its entire period. This will be finalised by 1 November.
	The review's initial findings are that the project has largely achieved its purpose to ensure: (i) effective support to the Palestinian negotiating teams in preparation for, and during, permanent status negotiations and (ii) support to current work intended to promote the resumption of permanent status talks.
	The main successes of the project have been: the formation of a dynamic and effective negotiations support team, a comprehensive set of files to inform final status negotiations, valuable legal support including that provided around the Gaza disengagement process, and the implementation of a communications strategy which helped raise awareness domestically and internationally on key Palestinian negotiating positions. Key project weaknesses which prevented full achievement of the project purpose were: the lack of a PLO negotiations strategy or clear PLO structure for prosecuting negotiations, the late emergence of a plan for transferring knowledge from the Support Unit to the PLO, and the need for stronger project management in some areas.

Palestine

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what revisions are being made to the County Assistance Plan for the Palestinians following the election of Hamas.

Hilary Benn: The position of the Hamas Government fails to reflect Quartet principles. Accordingly, DFID has reviewed its projects to ensure that no aid passes through the Hamas Government or its Ministries. Further information is at http://www.dfid.gov.uk/countries/asia/palestinian-ipu.pdf.
	Without lasting peace, the prospects for economic development, reduction of poverty and improved quality of life for the Palestinians are slight. The objectives in DFID's Country Assistance Plan: more effective, accountable and inclusive PA institutions; more effective humanitarian and development assistance; and enhanced prospects for peace, are likely to remain valid. However, DFID will keep this under close review.

Palestine

Chris Bryant: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contributions the UK is making to the EU mechanism for funding to the Palestinians.

Hilary Benn: I have made available up to 12 million to the Temporary International Mechanism (TIM) to help meet Palestinians basic needs. When added to the UK share of the European Commission's contribution, the total UK contribution will be about 25 million.
	DFID announced its first contribution of 3 million to the TIM on 11 August 2006. This was to fund essential supplies in the health sector. In the Gaza Strip 14 per cent. of drugs from essential drugs lists are out of stock.
	At the Stockholm Donor Conference on 1 September, I committed a second contribution of 3 million. This was for essential operation, maintenance and repair work to keep water, sanitation and electricity services running. I am now considering a further contribution.

Palestine

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what contributions the UK is making to EU mechanisms for funding to the Palestinians.

Hilary Benn: The UK has offered to contribute up to 12 million to the TIM and has so far committed 9 million of this to specific programmes. 3 million is providing drugs, medical equipment and other essential supplies to hospitals and clinics. Our second 3 million contribution will finance the operation, maintenance and repair of water, sanitation and electricity services in Gaza and the West Bank. The UK will make a third UK contribution to pay allowances to the poorest Palestinian Government workers, including teachers, who have suffered a severe loss in income over recent months. This is on top of the UK's share of European Community funding through the TIM, which amounts to a further 9 million approximately.

Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he will provide an answer to question  (a) 85757 and  (b) 85762, on Afghanistan, tabled on 12 July by the hon. Member for Forest of Dean.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answers I gave on  (a) 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 997W, and  (b) 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 986W.

Post-conflict Countries

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what funding he plans to make available in  (a) 2006-07,  (b) 2007-08 and  (c) 2008-09 to post-conflict countries for (a) increased Government capacity to support reform outlined in peace agreements, (b) safe return of internally displaced persons and refugees, (c) compensation for victims, (d) maintenance of peace-keeping troops and (e) arresting and trying those suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Hilary Benn: Since 2001 much of the Government's expenditure related to areas highlighted in the question has been managed through the joint DFID, FCO and MOD conflict prevention pools; the Africa Conflict Prevention Pool (ACPP) and the Global Conflict Prevention Pool (GCPP). Both pools receive technical support from the Post Conflict Reconstruction Unit (PCRU). The PCRU is also a tri-departmental unit involving DFID, the FCO and MOD. The PCRU enables UK Government Departments and the military to work together to support countries emerging from conflict. It provides skilled civilian staff to help kick-start post-conflict recovery. It does not provide funds.
	The pools support projects to improve the effectiveness of UK and international support for conflict prevention, through addressing long-term structural causes of conflict, managing regional and national tension and violence, and supporting post-conflict reconstruction where the UK can make a significant contribution, in particular Africa, Asia, the Balkans and the middle east.
	Given these arrangements, providing a detailed break down of DFID contributions in the areas (a) to (e) would be difficult and would incur disproportionate costs. Further, they would effectively be limited to administrative costs incurred by DFID in fulfilling its management and oversight obligations. The overall pools budgets for the financial year 2006-07 are provided as follows for information.
	
		
			  Pool  Overall pools budgets  ( million) 
			 The Global Conflict Prevention Pool 74 
			 Africa Conflict Prevention Pool 63.5 
		
	
	Allocations for 2007-08 for both the GCPP and the ACPP have yet to be agreed and as both are currently being assessed as part of the Comprehensive Spending Review it is difficult to provide forward figures for the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09.
	The Conflict Prevention Pools also fund the UK's contributions to the cost of international peacekeeping (d). In financial year 2006-07 up to 373.3 million has been made available to cover such costs. Due to the unpredictable nature of conflict and post-conflict situations, the funding for peacekeeping missions is determined on an annual basis and as such it is not possible to provide forward estimates for the financial years 2007-08 and 2008-09.
	In some cases DFID provides earmarked funds to the areas in question directly through our country programmes. Where this is the case, and where it is possible to break the expenditure down according to categories (a) to (e) in the question, such expenditure is reported as follows by country. In some cases it is difficult to disaggregate funds in the manner requested. Where this is the case an overall expenditure figure is provided.
	 Afghanistan
	DFID will disburse approximately 102 million in bilateral assistance to Afghanistan in 2006-07. The forecast expenditure for 2007-08 is 113 million. There are not yet forecast figures for 2008-09.
	The focus of this aid is on three areas: (i) livelihoods, (ii) rural assistance and (iii) state-building; the latter comprising roughly 10 per cent. of annual expenditure. State-building expenditure supports efforts to increase Government capacity in order for the Afghan Government to meet its commitments outlined in the Interim Afghan National Development Strategy and Afghan Compact, both of which were signed at the London Conference in January 2006. DFID Afghanistan does not fund directly areas (b), (c), (d) or (e) outlined in the question. However through DFID's partnership arrangements with UN agencies, international financing institutions and civil society organisation funding does indirectly address areas (b), (d) and (e). Disaggregated figures are not readily available.
	 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)
	DFID has supported a number of initiatives in the DRC aimed at building the capacity of the transition Government in support of the reforms outlined in the peace agreement. This has been achieved by building capacity in the ministries and transition institutions to bring about the first democratic election in DRC which was the centre piece of the global and inclusive accords. Support has totalled some 4.5 million. This includes:
	
		
			   Amount of support () 
			 Support to the elections trust fund 2 million. 
			 Support to the Electoral Institute of Southern Africa for capacity building, including support to the Independent Electoral Commission 1,322,672. 
			 Support to the Elections Disputes Project 400,000. 
			 Support to Transitions Institutions 500,000. 
			 Technical assistance for elections security 226,029. 
		
	
	The vast majority of DFID DRC's contributions to humanitarian assistance are channelled through the DRC Humanitarian Pooled Fund. The DFID contribution to this fund for this financial year (2006-07) is 1.8 million. The proposed contribution for the next financial year (2007-08) is 0.9 million. Beyond this it is difficult to provide figures, though we are likely to continue to support the fund. Based on disbursements to date, approximately 6 per cent. of the funds have been allocated to the return and reintegration of refugees.
	 Iraq
	DFID's 45 million Iraq programme for 2006-07 focuses on economic reform; infrastructure; improving power and water services in the south; governance and institution building in Baghdad and the south; and support for civil society and political participation. Projects relevant to the question include the Governorate Capacity Building Project (20.5 million over three years), support to the centre of Government Programme (13.25 million over two years) and support to the Political Participation Fund (5 million over two years).
	DFID also continues to work through the international system, as a member of the donor core group, and as a major contributor to the UN and World Bank Trust Funds for Iraq. DFID is working with the Iraqi Government, the UN, the World Bank, the US and other donors to achieve a more coordinated and Iraqi-led reconstruction and development effort.
	 Somalia
	On (a), DFID's current efforts are focused on supporting the re-establishment of law and order institutions in Somalia. We plan to commit 620,000 to the UNDP Rule of Law and Security programme in 2006-07. Much of this programme is focused on Somaliland and Puntland, as both are more stable regions with relatively better established institutions. Within the framework of the transitional federal charter for Somalia, DFID is directing its efforts at the establishment of inclusive safety, security and access to justice institutions.
	On (b), DFID has committed 800,000 to UNHCR to support the integration and settlement of internally displaced people (IDPs) and refugees. However in the long term, safe return on a larger scale depends on satisfactory resolution of the circumstances that have driven people from their homes in the first place. Our efforts in the meantime are directed to helping to achieve these conditions, for example by providing support to the Transitional Federal Government in Somalia.
	 Sudan
	Sudan's framework for this financial year and next is 109.8 million. A substantial element of these funds will be used to support most of the activities listed in the question over the next three years, but given the need for rapid and flexible response in post-conflict countries, it is not possible to state with any certainty how much will be allocated to each sector. However, no DFID funding is used for (e).
	 Central funding to specialised UN Agencies
	DFID has so far contributed an estimated 26 million to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) this financial year (2006-07). Within this total, DFID contributed 875,000 to support the successful return of 370,000 Liberian IDPs and 1 million in DRC to support their work with IDP returns in that country.
	A large amount of the funding to UNHCR is un-earmarked (17 million) to allow UNHCR flexibility over use of funds according to the greatest need among their programmes. We are therefore unable to specify with certainty what DFID funds have been used for returns programmes. It is difficult to predict how much funding will be needed in the international community for the safe return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees in future years as it is difficult to predict the resolution of crises that have forced people to flee their homes in the first place.

Questionnaires

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many  (a) questionnaires,  (b) statistical inquiries and  (c) investigations have been carried out wholly or partly at public expense on behalf of or by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was in each case.

Gareth Thomas: DFID contributes funding (either in whole or in part) to surveys, investigations and research undertaken in developing countries or on development issues. These activities cover a wide range of topics and may be national or local, conducted by the state National Statistics Institute, research institutes or by NGOs. It is not possible within proportionate cost to identify all the surveys that DFID has funded over the period in question.

Romania

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much EU aid has been allocated to childcare and related issues in Romania in each of the last five years; and what audit system has been put in place to ensure that funds are spent as intended.

Gareth Thomas: Reform of Romania's child welfare system was a priority for the European Community's Phare pre-accession programme over the period 1999 to 2003. The Children First programme was launched with a 25 million financial allocation for Child Protection provided under the Phare 1999 programme. Resources of 10 million in 2001, 13 million in 2002 and 11.5 million in 2003 (out of a total of 248.9 million, 265.5 million and 265.5 million respectively for Phare's Romania allocations) were committed to support local authorities to make the transition from old style residential care facilities to providing a range of child protection services including foster care. This programme is due to complete soon. From 2004 the programme has shifted to focus on promoting the social inclusion of the Roma population, notably improving access to education.
	The European Commission's internal audit function reviews risk management and systems and follows up on recommendations for improvements. The European Court of Auditors provides an independent audit of the collection and spending of European Union funds. The operations of all agencies may also be subject to spot checks by an outside auditor contracted by the Commission.

Russia

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the availability of food and  (b) the (i) economic, (ii) human rights and (iii) medical situation in Chechnya; and if he will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: To a large extent DFID relies on the UN organisations, including the World Food Programme (WFP), working in the North Caucasus to provide information on the humanitarian situation in Chechnya. An independent, comprehensive assessment of food security and nutrition in Chechnya and Ingushetia, commissioned by the WFP, is due to report later this month. Informed by a large number of household surveys, this will cover food security, nutrition, health services, shelter and economic activity in both republics. It will be used by WFP to plan their strategy for the next two years with a view to the phasing down of humanitarian activities and a possible increased focus on transition and rehabilitation.
	Russia is signed up to the Council of Europe's Convention on Human Rights and is bound by these obligations and decisions of the European Court of Human Rights. The FCO, through the British Embassy in Moscow, monitors the human rights situation in the North Caucasus and raises specific concerns with the Russian Authorities as well as through international organisations; these are detailed in the FCO's Annual Reports on Human Rights.

Somalia

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development pursuant to the answer to Question 87470, on Somalia, what assessment he has made of the impact of reported incursions by Ethiopian forces into Somalia on the humanitarian and security situation in that country; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: I have seen media reports of an Ethiopian military presence in Somalia, but we have had no official confirmation of the size or purpose of such forces. However, at this sensitive time, when Somali parties are in talks under the auspices of the League of Arab States, any military activity by internal or external forces, which could undermine the Khartoum process or bring further suffering to the Somali people, is highly undesirable. Conflict kills, injures and displaces innocent civilians and results inevitably in calls for humanitarian relief which would be better put to rebuilding Somalia.

State Aid Agencies (Co-operation)

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what plans he has for increased co-operation with other state aid agencies in relation to the objectives set out in the White Paper.

Hilary Benn: The White Paper on International Development published this year sets out the UK commitment to increase aid to 0.7 per cent. of gross national income by 2013. It describes how DFID aims to improve aid effectiveness by supporting partner country ownership of development and by working more closely with other donors.
	DFID has already worked with other donors to increase cooperation at a country level in Tanzania and Zambia, and is currently working with the Government and other donors to improve working arrangements in Uganda. The world's first fully harmonised joint donor office opened earlier this year in Juba, Southern Sudan and combines the bilateral programmes of the UK, Netherlands, Norway, Denmark and Sweden into one operation.
	DFID is also working closely with the European Commission to establish and improve joint strategies in a number of African countries and aims to participate in multi-donor arrangements in all countries where it has a bi-lateral aid programme by 2010.
	Achievement of White Paper objectives also requires that donors act and provide funds in ways that simplify aid delivery to meet the needs of partner countries and that the performance by the UN, World Bank and regional development banks is improved. DFID is working with other donors to reform the support to the UN by pooling funds at country levels, and is pushing for a stronger role for the OECD development assistance committee to monitor and hold donors, countries, multi-laterals and the UN to account on meeting their commitments.

Sudan

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he has taken to encourage other donors to commit funding since the African Union Mission in Sudan pledging conference.

Hilary Benn: The African Union has extended AMIS' mandate to 31 December 2006. Funding remains a crucial issue. The UK has already contributed 20 million this financial year. We are now looking to see what else we can provide. We have called on states who made commitments to AMIS at the 18 July Donors' Conference to honour those commitments, and for others who have not yet contributed to AMIS to look again at what financial and in kind assistance they can give. We are also calling on the Arab League to honour the pledge it made in March and in September to fund AMIS.

Sudan

Mark Simmonds: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the Sudan Peace Agreement.

Hilary Benn: The Darfur Peace Agreement, signed in Abuja on 5 May this year, is a good deal for the people of Darfur. It gives them a greater say in Government in both Darfur and Khartoum, and also grants Darfur a share of the national wealth, including funds to rebuild and develop the region. Most importantly it includes enhanced ceasefire and security arrangements aimed at restoring peace and security to the region.
	But insufficient progress has been made on implementing the Agreement, largely because a number of the rebel groups are yet to sign up to it. We are pressing them to do so, including through a diplomatic initiative with the EU, US and others on the ground in Darfur. The Government of Sudan must also fulfil its commitments, particularly on disarming the Janjaweed, as must Minni Minnawi, the only rebel leader to have signed the deal. We are encouraging both the Government of Sudan and Minni Minnawi to reach out to the non-signatories to bring them on board.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what his most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) internally displaced people (i) in Darfur and (ii) elsewhere in Sudan and  (b) refugees from Sudan in Chad.

Hilary Benn: The UN estimates that  (a) the current number of internally displaced people in (i) Darfur is 1.9 million and (ii) elsewhere in Sudan is around four million, of whom around half are in the Khartoum area and  (b) there are approximately 200,000 refugees from Sudan in Chad.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effect on the aid effort in Darfur of the recent attacks on aid workers; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The UK Government are immensely concerned about the attacks on aid workers in Darfur since July. We have made it clear to all parties that the fighting must stop and that any attempts to hinder the humanitarian effort are unacceptable. The situation is precarious and has the potential to deteriorate very rapidly.
	Because of the rise in attacks, aid agencies have resorted to working remotely from regional centres and using commercial vehicles. This means that programmes are likely to be less effective as specialist staff are not on site. Having fewer international staff near the most vulnerable people increases the likelihood of attacks against them. The reduced presence of specialist health care means that any outbreak of disease, such as cholera could have potentially devastating consequences. We are discussing with the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) the possibility of further support to their security and co-ordination role, and we are looking at funding additional security training for our NGO partners.

Tsunami Funds

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what the total support pledged by  (a) the UK,  (b) the EU,  (c) the US,  (d) Australia,  (e) Japan and  (f) other donors was following the tsunami in the Indian Ocean of December 2004; how much has been spent to date; and in which countries the funds have been spent.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 11 September 2006
	The information requested is as follows.
	 United Kingdom
	The UK Government has directly allocated the equivalent of around 290 million to disaster relief and reconstruction in the tsunami affected countries. This includes 75 million of our bilateral funds to the humanitarian relief effort. Of the 75 million, DFID has pledged to spend 7.5 million on helping countries in the region reduce people's vulnerability to natural disasters. We have also allocated an additional 65 million of bilateral funds to the longer-term reconstruction phase.
	The breakdown of bilateral commitments and spend to date by country (including the provision at regional level) is listed in the following table.
	
		
			   million 
			   Pledged  Committed  Spent 
			 Regional (including DRR)  50.642 40.877 
			 Sri Lanka  7.625 4.653 
			 India  5.767 2.611 
			 Indonesia  36.07 30.57 
			 Somalia  0.5 0.5 
			 Maldives  1.01 1.01 
			 Total 140.00 101.614 80.221 
		
	
	The regional commitment includes DFID support to the United Nations and 7.5 million for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities.
	The work in Sri Lanka is focused upon the north and east of the country, but spending has been slower than anticipated due to the current crisis.
	59.2 million has been pledged for reconstruction and recovery activities in Indonesia, of which 19.6 million has been formally committed. The remaining 39.6 million for Indonesia (with expenditure running through to 2008-09) will be committed over the next six months.
	Her Majesty's Treasury estimates that the Government will be contributing approximately 50 million through tax relief on public donations made through the Gift Aid Scheme.
	The British Government also contribute through the European Commission (EC). The EC has already pledged 123 million in humanitarian assistance and up to 350 million for longer-term reconstruction. The UK's share of this is approximately 15 million and 40 million respectively.
	The UK also contributes to the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, who have both pledged resources in support of the tsunami-affected area.
	The UK announced that Sri Lanka would be added to the list of countries eligible for the UK's new multilateral debt relief initiative (MDRI). Under this initiative, the UK will pay our share (10 per cent., or around 45 million) of Sri Lanka's debt service costs to the World Bank until 2015. All Paris Club debt repayments due to be paid to the UK by Indonesia in 2005 totalling 73 million have been deferred and rescheduled for payment over the next four years.
	 European Commission
	The European Commission and member states pledged more than 2 billion in assistance for tsunami-affected countries of which 566 million is for humanitarian assistance and the remainder for rehabilitation and reconstruction. 452 million (80 per cent.) of humanitarian aid has been spent. 902 million (60 per cent.) of rehabilitation and reconstruction aid has been committed and 367 million disbursed. The European Investment Bank is about to sign loans totalling 170 million in Indonesia, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. Additional loans of 396 million have been pledged by member states.
	Latest figures for other donors show that the United States of America pledged US$350 million for humanitarian and recovery assistance and a further US$625 million for tsunami recovery and reconstruction. Australia pledged AUS$122.8 million in support of the tsunami, AUS$75.9 million of which was for emergency humanitarian assistance. Japan pledged up to US$500 million grant money as emergency assistance, of which US$250 million for international organisations and US$250 million for bilateral assistance.
	Latest estimates indicate that in total over US$13 billion was pledged or donated by the international community for emergency relief and the reconstruction effort in response to the tsunami. It is estimated that of the total amount 46 per cent. was provided from governments, 16 per cent. international financial institutions and 38 per cent. from private finance and donations.

Tsunami Funds

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the progress in each affected country of projects partly or wholly funded by his Department in response to the Indian ocean tsunami of December 2005.

Gareth Thomas: DFID allocated 75 million for emergency relief and 65 million for recovery and reconstruction to help communities affected by the Indian ocean tsunami of December 2004.
	DFID emergency relief projects have ended. They were evaluated in late 2005 and the conclusions are in 'Report on DFID's response to the Indian Ocean Disaster', copies of which are in the Libraries of the House and on the DFID website. The report found that DFID's response was broadly successful, that support to UN agencies filled critical gaps in the relief effort, but that DFID needed to be more aware of weaknesses within the agencies.
	Most recovery and reconstruction programmes are ongoing. Internal DFID assessments or independent evaluations are routinely used to monitor progress.
	In Indonesia, DFID has committed 25.6 million so far to recovery and reconstruction:
	a contribution of $10 million (5,511,571) to the Multi-Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias (MDF) in support of the Government of Indonesia's priorities for reconstruction. The MDF funds 16 projects, helping the recovery of communities, infrastructure and transport, capacity building and governance, and sustainable management of the environment. DFID rated the MDF top for both purpose and output in an annual review in August. In the past eight months, two independent evaluations of MDF have been conducted and a third is in progress;
	a recent contribution of 6 million to the World Bank's Support for Poor and Disadvantaged areas (SPADA) programme for Aceh for access to justice, improved regulation of private sector investment and better targeting of assistance. It is too early to assess;
	10 million for the livelihoods component of UNDP's Emergency Response and Transitional Recovery (ERTR) programme enabling over 50,000 people to re-engage in income generation activities. An independent evaluation in March judged that ERTR had successfully mobilised funds for reconstruction. DFID's annual review in August concluded that ERTR was achieving its purpose;
	a number of smaller initiatives to improve transparency in the management of reconstruction funds, build capacity of local governments and other agencies involved in reconstruction, and help consolidate peace in Aceh. All are covered by routine internal monitoring, the largest (3 million) is currently being reviewed, and a review in May of the second largest (0.6 million) concluded that the project was running well.
	In Sri Lanka, DFID has committed 2.8 million to improve management of recovery and reconstruction: 1.3 million to the Reconstruction and Development Authority and 1.5 million to the North East Provincial Council. Limited capacity within local and central Government to manage and co-ordinate activities means assistance has been slow to reach some communities or has arrived in insufficient quantity. Furthermore, conflict in parts of Sri Lanka has limited access. Overall, the recovery programme is making progress and much has already been achieved; for example, the fishing industry, which lost over 15,000 fishing boats and on which communities rely, is expected to have recovered to pre-tsunami levels by the end of this year. These shortcomings, as well as progress, are monitored by DFID and are consistent with the findings of most evaluations.
	In India, DFID has committed 3 million to a recovery and reconstruction programme co-ordinated by the UN for social equity, restoration of livelihoods, shelter, ecosystem restoration, HIV/AIDS, disaster preparedness, and programme management. DFID are currently undertaking an annual review of progress.

Tsunami Funds

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has  (a) pledged,  (b) committed and  (c) spent on projects in response to the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2005 in each of the countries affected.

Gareth Thomas: DFID has pledged 140 million in response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami of December 2005. 75 million was pledged to the immediate humanitarian relief effort, including 7.5 million to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. This was exceeded as our total commitment rose to 76.214 million. A further 65 million was pledged to meet reconstruction needs in the Tsunami affected countries. The break down of commitment and spend to date by country (including the provision at regional level) is listed in the following tables.
	
		
			  Humanitarian Relief ( million) 
			   Regional (inc DRR)  Sri Lanke  India  Indonesia  Somalia  Maldives  Total 
			 Committed 50.642 4.825 2.767 16.47 0.5 1.01 76.214 
			 Spent 40.877 4.653 2.611 16.47 0.5 1.01 66.122 
		
	
	The regional commitment includes DFID support to the United Nations and 7.5 million for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) activities. The 10.092 million that has not yet been spent includes this 7.5 million. We are considering options for spending this allocation. A further 2.48 million has not been spent because projects that we supported cost less to deliver than was originally budgeted. DFID is recovering remaining unspent funds.
	
		
			  Reconstruction and Recovery ( million) 
			   Regional  Sri Lanka  India  Indonesia  Somalia  Maldives  Total 
			 Pledged  2.8 3 59.2   65 
			 Committed  2.8 3 19.6   25.4 
			 Spent14.1   14.1 
		
	
	DFID's focus in the reconstruction phase for Sri Lanka has been to build capacity in-country to manage the longer-term recovery effort. This work is focused upon the North and East of Sri Lanka, but has been suspended due to the current crisis.
	The money committed to reconstruction and recovery in India will provide technical assistance aimed at ensuring effective allocation of tsunami reconstruction funds.
	59.2 million has been pledged for reconstruction and recovery activities in Indonesia of which 19.6 million has been formally committed. The remaining 39.6 million for Indonesia (with expenditure running through to 2008-09) will be committed over the next six months as follows:
	Up to 33.6 million to the Multi Donor Trust Fund to support housing, infrastructure, transport, capacity building, and projects which support the sustainable management of the environment.
	6 million to the World Bank's Support for Poor and Disadvantaged Areas programme to provide support to strengthen governance, promote growth and improve service delivery in the provinces of Aceh and Nias.

Uganda

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of the Ugandan Government's resettlement plan for internally-displaced people; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: The Government of Uganda have developed an Emergency Action Plan, which is intended to improve the humanitarian situation over a six month period, and they have also recently circulated a draft peace recovery and development plan covering a three year period. Both plans include the resettlement of internally displaced persons.
	Donors (including DFID) and UN agencies continue to have extensive discussions with the Government of Uganda on the details of these plans, including resettlement. We greatly welcome the fact that it is possible for people to return home, and donors have made it clear to the Government that we are willing to provide assistance to help ensure that this is successful. In our discussions with the Government, however, we do continue to stress the importance of ensuring that resettlement is voluntary, and done in full consultation with displaced people themselves.
	We have also made sure that the humanitarian aid we are providing in 2006-07 (including 7 million to the World Food Programme, 1.3 million to UNICEF and 800,000 to the Red Cross) can be used to improve conditions in the camps where this is required, and also to provide support to people returning home in other areas as the situation permits.

West Africa

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment his Department has made of  (a) the situation of Liberian refugees in (i) Cte d'Ivoire and (ii) other neighbouring countries and  (b) the likely effects of the closing of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees transit centre in Tabou; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: By 2004, 15 years of civil conflict in Liberia had dispersed some 350,000 Liberian refugees across West Africa. About one third, 117,000, returned to Liberia spontaneously through 2004 and 2005 after the peace agreement and deployment of UN peacekeepers. Following elections in October 2005 and the improving prospects for peace and recovery, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) began actively promoting and assisting voluntary repatriation from camps and communities in neighbouring countries. Up to July 2006, 71,000 refugees were assisted to return home, leaving a residual case load of 162,000, of whom 38,000 are in Cte d'Ivoire, mainly integrated with local communities, rather than living in camps. While the rate of return this year has been initially slower than forecast, it is expected to accelerate markedly with the approaching end of the agricultural season and continued investment in basic services in Liberian home communities. UNHCR predict that 70 per cent. of the remaining refugees will have returned home by June 2007.
	The closure of the transit centre in Tabou, Cte d'Ivoire, is a positive move. It had housed 2,400 refugees for several years, though it was designed as a temporary shelter for arriving asylum seekers. Its closure, made possible by the residents finding alternative living and livelihood arrangements in local communities, is good for their dignity and well-being, and signifies the diminished likelihood of further influxes of refugees.
	Between 2002 and 2005, DFID provided about 1 million p.a. to support the care and maintenance of Liberian refugees in camps across the region. DFID has also invested significantly in Liberia over the last three years to encourage and assist refugees to return home. 3.5 million p.a. has been allocated to support the restoration of basic infrastructure and services (health, water, sanitation, shelter, education) as well as boosting livelihood prospects. In addition, in 2005 and 2006, DFID has provided 2 million to UNHCR to support the voluntary repatriation of refugees from Cte d'Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone and Ghana.

DEFENCE

Preview

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the cost is of publication of Preview, published by the Defence Procurement Agency; how it is funded; and to what individuals and groups it is distributed.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 18 September 2006
	The cost of the printing and publication of Preview, and its associated organisational wall charts covering the Defence Procurement Agency and the Equipment Capability Customer, in the financial year 2005-06 was 106,575 including VAT. Publication costs were fully met through advertising revenue, which in the financial year 2005-06 totalled 238,917 including VAT, generating a surplus income of 132,342. Preview is distributed to individuals and groups through individual and bulk circulation to the following organisations, bodies and individuals: the Defence Procurement Agency, the Defence Logistics Organisation, MOD Ministers' private offices, MOD senior officials' private offices, MOD central staffs, other Government Departments, units of the armed forces, defence industry bodies, defence contractors, defence attaches in UK-based embassies and High Commissions, UK defence attaches, foreign Government defence procurement organisations, UK media organisations and Members of Parliament.

Afghanistan

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the mission is of 16 Air Assault Brigade in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: Elements of 16 Air Assault Brigade were deployed to Afghanistan as part of the UK force package in support of the UN-authorized, NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). The ISAF is there to prevent Afghanistan from again harbouring terrorism, to build security and government institutions so that the progress of recent years becomes irreversible, and to combat Taliban insurgency and illegally armed groups, which remain threats to Afghan security and stability.

Aircraft

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many of each helicopter type in the  (a) Army Air Corps,  (b) Royal Navy and  (c) Royal Air Force are deployed; and where they are deployed.

Adam Ingram: The number of helicopters deployed on enduring operations, as at 12 September 2006, are shown in the following table:
	
		
			   Total deployed 
			  Army Air Corps  
			 Apache Mk 1 AH 8 
			 Gazelle AH 1 8 
			 Lynx AH 7 16 
			 Lynx AH 9 3 
			   
			  Royal Navy  
			 Sea King HC 4 6 
			 Lynx HAS Mk 3 1 
			 Merlin HM Mk 1 3 
			   
			  Royal Air Force  
			 Puma HC 1 7 
			 Merlin HC 3 5 
			 Chinook HC 2/2a 8 
			 Total for each location 65 
		
	
	A breakdown by location of where these helicopters are deployed cannot be provided as to do so could compromise operational security.

Air-to-Air Refuelling

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what plans he has to enlarge the Tristar fleet by  (a) purchasing and  (b) leasing second-hand aircraft to meet air-to-air refuelling capacity shortfall.

Adam Ingram: We have no such plans.

Armoured Vehicles

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what recent research he has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the annual running costs of (i) Warrior and (ii) RG-31 armoured vehicles with particular reference to the intervals between replacing track sets; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The RG31 is not in service with the UK armed forces and no research has been undertaken recently to evaluate its annual running costs. The full capitation costs for the Warrior armoured fighting vehicle (all variants) based upon peace time usage is calculated for financial year 2006-07 as 154.04 per kilometre. There is no requirement to hold specific cost data for replacement track set intervals for the Warrior.

Armoured Vehicles

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many operational Warrior armoured fighting vehicles are in use by the Army.

Adam Ingram: I can confirm that out of a fleet of 794 Warrior armoured fighting vehicles (all variants) 735 are in use by the Army. Of these 109 are used in training and 626 are deployed with units. The remainder of the fleet is undergoing programmed maintenance and repair, in storage or with the design authority.

Christmas Leave

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps he has taken to ensure that servicemen and women stationed in  (a) Afghanistan and  (b) Iraq scheduled for UK leave over the Christmas period will be able to travel to the UK as planned.

Adam Ingram: I fully appreciate the significance of ensuring that our people, who are on rest and recuperation, can return to the UK over the Christmas period and indeed throughout the year. We make exhaustive efforts to provide transport to enable personnel to travel to the UK and other destinations as planned and to accommodate each Theatre's requirements for personnel movements over the Christmas period.

Departmental Contracts

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which private companies hold contracts with his Department to develop weapons and technology.

Adam Ingram: It is not possible to provide specific details on private companies with which the MOD holds contracts to develop weapons and technology without incurring disproportionate cost. However, based on the Type of Work Code classification, in this case Demonstration, allocated to each contract recorded on the Defence Bills Agency database, which covers 95 per cent. of MOD's business, it has been possible to identify a list of all companies currently engaged in these contracts which include development. The details are as follows:
	 List of companies holding Demonstration contracts with MOD
	 Company name
	Aerospace and Airworthiness
	Aerosystems international
	Agustawestland international
	Aircontrol Technologies Ltd.
	Akers Krutbruk Protection AB
	Alstom Power Conversion Ltd.
	Ansys Europe Ltd.
	B D L Systems Ltd.
	Babcock Design and Technology
	BAE Systems (Defence Systems)
	BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd.
	BAE Systems Defence Ltd.
	BAE Systems Electronics Ltd.
	BAE Systems Integrated System
	BAE Systems Land Systems
	BAE Systems Marine Ltd.
	BAE Systems plc
	Blakley Electrics Ltd/
	Carl Zeiss Optronics GMBH
	Changeforce (UK) Ltd.
	Chelton (Electrostatics) Ltd.
	Controls  Enclosure Technik Ltd.
	Converteam Ltd.
	CSC Computer Sciences Ltd.
	CTA International
	Cubic Defense Applications Inc.
	Denel (PTY) Ltd.
	Diagnosys Ltd.
	DRS Tactical Systems Ltd.
	Dunlop Aircraft Tyres Ltd.
	Dytecna Ltd.
	EADS Deutschland GMBH
	Easy I Ltd.
	Echelon Consulting Ltd.
	EDM Ltd.
	ERA Technology Ltd.
	ESRI (UK) Ltd.
	Fanfield Ltd.
	FR Aviation Ltd.
	G3 Systems Ltd.
	GE Seaco Services Ltd.
	General Dynamics Canada Ltd.
	General Dynamics United Kingdom
	GLS (Global Life Support)
	Guartel Technologies Ltd.
	High Integrity Solutions Ltd.
	IABG
	IBM United Kingdom Ltd.
	Innovative Technology Projects
	INSYS Ltd.
	Intrinsyc Europe Ltd.
	Kongsberg Maritime Ltd.
	L-3 Communications Integrated
	Lex Transfleet Ltd.
	Lincad Ltd.
	Lockheed Martin Canada Inc.
	Lockheed Martin Systems
	LogicaCMG UK Ltd.
	Lucidus Ltd.
	Luminova (UK) Ltd.
	M J A Dynamics Ltd.
	Marigold Industrial Ltd.
	MAS Zengrange Ltd.
	MBDA UK Ltd.
	Meighs Ltd.
	MMIC EOD Ltd.
	N  M A Saville Associates
	Northrop Grumman ISS
	Pall Europe Ltd.
	Panorama Antennas Ltd.
	Pearson Engineering Ltd.
	QinetiQ Ltd.
	Rabintex Industries Ltd.
	Rapco Electronics Ltd.
	Raytheon Company
	Raytheon Systems Ltd.
	Reynolds Boughton Ltd.
	RFD Beaufort Ltd.
	Rheinmetall WM GMBH
	Rockwell-Collins (U.K.)
	Roke Manor Research Ltd.
	Rolls-Royce plc
	Rolls-Royce Power Engineering
	RRK Technologies Ltd.
	Savil Ltd.
	Selex Communications Ltd.
	Serco Ltd.
	Smith Myers Communications Ltd.
	Stew Art Hughes Ltd.
	Systems Consultants Services
	Systems Engineering
	Telemetry Consultants Ltd.
	Thales Air Defence Ltd.
	Thales Missile Electronics
	Thales Optronics
	Thales UK Ltd.
	Thales Underwater Systems
	The Boeing Company
	TRL Technology Ltd.
	Turbomeca Ltd.
	TUV Product Service Ltd.
	Ultra Electronics Ltd.
	Vector Fields Ltd.
	Vega Group plc
	W.L. Gore and Associates (U.K.)
	X P plc
	 Source:
	Defence Bills Agency Database (Type of Work Code 03 (Demonstration))30 August 2006

Departmental Lawyers

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the job descriptions are of lawyers employed in his Department; what those descriptions were in 1997; what the cost was of lawyers employed in his Department in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 13 September 2006
	The work of civilian lawyers employed in the Ministry of Defence is to provide legal support and services to the Department across the range of its activities and business. The particular requirements of the Department for legal advice are necessarily dependent on the circumstances prevailing at any one time. The summary description of the current work of the various teams of lawyers based in the UK reflects the main areas of law on which advice is required, and is as follows:
	 Legislation
	This team's primary responsibility is the production of, and advice on, the primary and secondary legislation governing the armed forces, apart from legislation on pay, pensions and other terms of service.
	 Operational and International Humanitarian Law
	Provides advice within the Department on operational law issues including advice in relation to the legal basis for use of force, international humanitarian law, and associated domestic and international legal issues.
	 Personnel and Pensions Law
	Advises on personnel employment questions (including personnel vetting), terms and conditions of service, redundancy questions, discrimination law and human rights issues affecting the Services and MOD civilian staff respectively. The team also advises on War Pensions, the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme and Service and civilian pension issues.
	 General Law
	Advises on information rights (including data protection, freedom of information, environmental information and matters relating to the law of privacy and confidence), Defence Estates, and other areas of law not covered by the other teams.
	 Commercial Law
	Advises on a range of commercial matters including private finance initiative and public private partnership projects, the application of the Transfer of Undertakings (Protection of Employment) Regulations, EU law questions, international contracting issues, commercial information rights, and general commercial law questions.
	In addition to the UK lawyers there are two teams based overseas in Germany and Cyprus.
	The team based in Germany provides legal advice to UK forces and their civilian component on all aspects of living in and operating in and from Germany. This includes advice on the application of the NATO Status of Forces Agreement, its Supplementary Agreement relating to Germany, and other international and bilateral arrangements.
	The Attorney General and Legal Adviser team based in the Sovereign Base Areas (SBA), Cyprus, provides legal advice to the SBA Administration. He has independent control of prosecutions before the SBA Court. He and his team draft legislation and provide advice to meet the needs of the SBA Administration, including the provision of advice on the Treaty of Establishment, on legal aspects of policy development.
	The salary costs of civilian lawyers employed in the Department in each of the last 10 years is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 1997-98 1.27 
			 1998-99 1.31 
			 1999-00 1.48 
			 2000-01 1.53 
			 2001-02 1.92 
			 2002-03 2.52 
			 2003-04 2.94 
			 2004-05 (1) 
			 2005-06 3.29 
			 2006-07 (2)1.52 
			 (1) As a result of changes in accounting procedures and the transfer of the Department's lawyers from the Treasury Solicitor into the MOD during the course of 2004-05 an accurate figure for this year is not available.  (2) Figures cover the period 1 April 2006 to 31 August 2006.

Departmental Travel

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flights were taken by Ministers and officials in his Department on departmental business in each of the past 12 months.

Derek Twigg: The information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Environmental Policies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what arrangements have been made for the recycling of waste by each of the services.

Derek Twigg: Recycling provision varies from site to site depending on the location and availability of local recycling facilities. Waste management activities, including recycling, are organised and managed through multi-activity contracts or through facility management companies. Usually facilities for the recycling of varying waste streams are provided. Site environmental advisors provide local guidance and instructions on waste management.
	Recyclable material associated with domestic accommodation for service personnel is generally collected by the relevant local authority.

Environmental Policies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to inform armed forces personnel of the nearest recycling facilities to their accommodation.

Derek Twigg: Waste awareness initiatives, such as site introductory briefs and presentations, are carried out to inform armed forces personnel of the most appropriate collection scheme and/or the whereabouts of the nearest recycling facility to their accommodation.

Environmental Policies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the merits of converting departmental vehicles to liquefied petroleum gas.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence's non-operational vehicles are provided under the terms of two separate contracts, one for the UK and one for Germany. There are currently six liquefied petroleum gas vehicles available for use as part of the UK contract.
	In line with the Government's targets for sustainable development, the MOD is reviewing, with both contractors, a range of options, including increasing the availability of vehicles that use alternative fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas.
	The MOD's operational vehicle fleets are managed to comply with UK and EU legislation and the current NATO Single Fuel Policy. Since the acceptance and implementation of this policy in 1991, all operational vehicles procured will run on diesel or kerosene type fuels. For older vehicles, conversion programmes have been undertaken where this represents a cost-effective option for the remaining life of the fleet.

Environmental Policies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to promote Fair Trade products in departmental catering establishments.

Adam Ingram: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for St. Ives (Andrew George) on 15 February 2006,  Official Report, column 2094W.

Environmental Policies

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what steps his Department has taken to source local products for use in departmental catering establishments  (a) in the UK and  (b) overseas.

Derek Twigg: The Ministry of Defence currently has a single global food supply contract with Purple Foodservice Solutions under which the supplier is responsible for supplying food to the armed forces both in the UK and on operations worldwide. In accordance with the MOD's procurement policy contractors are encouraged to purchase British produce whenever it is competitive and consistent with meeting the quality standards. The MOD is working with DEFRA and industry to maximise the competitiveness of British produce.

Falkland Islands

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence which units are stationed in the Falkland Islands.

Adam Ingram: The units stationed in the Falkland Islands are as follows:
	 Joint Units
	Falkland Islands Joint Logistic Unit
	Falkland Islands Support Unit
	Joint Communications Unit Falkland Islands
	Joint Services Provost and Security Unit
	Joint Services Signals Unit
	 Maritime Units
	Falkland Islands Patrol Vessel: HMS Dumbarton Castle
	Naval Engineering Falkland Islands: Supports HMS Dumbarton Castle and other Royal Navy assets that deploy to the Falkland Islands
	 Land Unit
	Roulement Infantry Coy: Currently provided by 1st Battalion The Royal Welsh (Royal Welch Fusiliers)
	 Air Units
	905 Expeditionary Air Wing, comprising:
	1435 Flight: 4 x Tornado F3 Air Defence fighters
	1312 Flight: 1 x VC10, supporting 1435 Flight with air-to-air refuelling
	1 x C130, providing airborne maritime patrol capability
	78 Sqn: 2 x RAF Sea King Search and Rescue helicopters
	2 x Sikorski S61 helicopters (operated by British International for routine movements of personnel and freight)
	Resident Rapier Sqn: 3 x RAF Fire Units
	Falkland Islands Air Defence Ground Environment: Remotely deployed Early Warning Radars
	Support Elements: Air Traffic Control, Fire and Meteorological Services
	In addition to the permanent units listed above, Atlantic Patrol Task (South) deploys either a frigate or destroyer, supported by a Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel, into the Falkland Islands Joint Operations Area for the majority of the year.

Files (Asbestos Contamination)

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the letter of 29 March to the hon. Member for Sunderland South (Ref: D/US of S/DT 1572/06/C/is), when he expects to gain access to the files contaminated by asbestos; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: My right hon. Friend, the Minister of State for the Armed Forces, wrote on 26 September 2006 with a response to your request.

Foreign Language Training

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much his Department spent on foreign language training for military personnel in the last year for which figures are available.

Derek Twigg: Approximately 7.7 million was spent on foreign language training for military personnel in financial year 2005-06. This figure includes the running costs of the Defence School of Languages at Beaconsfield.

Former Under-Secretary of State

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what the  (a) diary commitments and  (b) travel arrangements were for the Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans for the week beginning Sunday 3 September;
	(2)  what understanding his Department had with the Under-Secretary of State for Defence and Minister for Veterans about how he would travel from his holiday in Scotland to his official engagements on 6 September.

Derek Twigg: The diary commitments for my predecessor the Under-Secretary of State for Defence for the week commencing 3 September were:
	Wednesday 6 SeptemberAddressing the Veterans Scotland AGM in Glasgow followed by a visit to meet Veterans at the Forth Valley Sensory Centre, Camelon.
	Thursday 7 SeptemberVisits to the Earl Haig Poppy Factory and Whitefoord House in Edinburgh.
	The Ministry of Defence did not arrange travel for his private engagements during the week commencing 3 September. The Department did organise official travel for the planned official engagements on the 6 and 7 September.

Hearing Loss

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South of 20 July 2005,  Official Report, column 1753W, on health and safety, what estimate he has made of the number of servicemen and women who have experienced hearing loss as a result of their service in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan.

Derek Twigg: As my predecessor said, there are currently no specific measures in place to monitor the prevalence of noise-related hearing loss among servicemen and women serving in Iraq. This is also the case in Afghanistanpersonnel deployed to either Iraq or Afghanistan do not undergo specific pre- or post-deployment hearing tests. No estimate has therefore been made of the number of personnel who have experienced hearing loss as a result of their service in those operational theatres.
	However, hearing tests of all service personnel are carried out at periodic medical examinations, which will detect deployment-related hearing loss.
	The MOD also has robust hearing conservation procedures in place across the services and I refer the hon. Member to my predecessor's answer of 21 July 2005,  Official Report, column 2114W to the hon. Member for Portsmouth, South (Mr. Hancock) which gives information on these procedures.

Iraq

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what targets have been set for military reform in the Iraqi provinces of  (a) Al Basrah,  (b) Al Muthanna,  (c) Dhi Qar and  (d) Maysan; and what progress has been achieved.

Des Browne: We work in close partnership with the Iraqi Security Forces and civil authorities, to support the development of robust, self-reliant and credible Iraqi security forces.
	The UK is responsible for training and sustaining the 10th Division of the Iraqi army based in Multi- National Division South East (MND(SE)). Significant progress in reforming the Iraqi army has been made, with nine out of 10 Battalions for the Southern Division already formed and basic trained. The formation and training of the remaining Battalion is due to be completed by the end of the year.
	The coalition targets set for the Iraqi army and Iraqi Police Service (including the Department of Border Enforcement) in the four provinces command of MND(SE) are set against a range of key capability areas, including leadership, command and control, intelligence and logistics.
	Preconditions are also set, and jointly assessed with the Iraqi Government, of the necessary security and governance preconditions for the hand-over of Provinces to full Iraqi control. These assessments include: the insurgents' threat level; the Iraqi Security Forces' ability to take on the security task; the capacity of provincial bodies to cope with the changed security environment; and the posture and support available from Coalition Forces.

Iraq

Jacqui Lait: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Iranians have been arrested in and around Basra since the end of Saddam Hussein's regime.

Des Browne: Available records show that one Iranian national was detained by UK forces in Multi-National Division (South East). He was interned in the divisional temporary detention facility in Shaibah in 2003 and subsequently released. We do not hold records on individuals arrested by the Iraqi Police Service.

Iraq Medal

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to the answer of 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1437W, on the Iraq medal, whether journalists and support staff serving in  (a) Iraq and  (b) other war zones are eligible for the relevant campaign medal; and what the average time taken to award the medal was.

Derek Twigg: Only Ministry of Defence accredited war correspondents who were deployed to Iraq during the period of fighting which took place from March to April 2003 are eligible to receive the MOD Iraq medal. The MOD currently have no other situations world-wide where accredited war correspondents are being deployed.
	All applications for the MOD Iraq medal are processed, on an individual application basis, by the Ministry of Defence Medal Office which is part of the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency. Initially there were delays in issuing the Iraq medal, mainly due to the huge demand for it, but also because this coincided with the integration of the Department's individual service medal offices into one tri-service medal office. Currently, applications for the MOD Iraq medal are generally turned around within a period of six weeks.

ISAF

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many British military personnel are serving at the headquarters of the International Security Assistance Force.

Adam Ingram: As of 26 September there were 821 British military personnel at Headquarters ISAF in Afghanistan. This number will fluctuate subject to usual operational factors, such as leave and post rotations.
	The number of British military personnel will decrease significantly when the UK relinquishes the leadership of ISAF Headquarters in February next year.

Mechanised Infantry Battalions

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Mechanised Infantry (Warrior) battalions the Army presently has; and  (a) where they are based and  (b) what role they are currently undertaking.

Adam Ingram: The Army presently has four Mechanised Infantry Battalions: none of these operate Warrior armoured fighting vehicles and none are currently operating outside their Mechanised Infantry role. There are nine Armoured Infantry battalions which are Warrior-equipped. Their base and current locations are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Mechanised Infantry Battalions  Base Location 
			 1 LANCS Osnabruck, Germany 
			 2RGJ Bulford, UK 
			 1R ANGLIAN Pirbright, UK 
			 1DDLI Catterick, UK(1) 
			 (1)Currently in Iraq 
		
	
	
		
			  Armoured Infantry (Warrior) Battalions  Base Location 
			 1 SCOTS GUARDS Munster, Germany 
			 1 RRF Celle, Germany 
			 4 SCOTS Fallingbostel, Germany 
			 1 LI Paderborn, Germany(1) 
			 1PWRR Paderborn, Germany(1) 
			 2 R WELSH Tidworth, UK 
			 1 STAFFORDS Tidworth, UK 
			 3 YORKS Warminster, UK 
			 2 LANCS Catterick, UK 
			 ( 1 )Currently in Iraq

Meteorological Office and Hydrographic Office

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made on the review into the structure of the Meteorological Office and the Hydrographic Office; and if he will make a statement.

Derek Twigg: Our examination of the future structure and ownership arrangements for the Meteorological Office has concluded that it should remain a trading fund for the present. In the longer term, we will keep open the option of possible conversion into a Government-owned company, but for now the priority for the Met Office is to build on its existing success, by delivering further improvements in its public sector services, and driving commercial growth.
	I expect to reach a conclusion about possible changes to the future structure and ownership of the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) in the autumn.
	It has, however, been decided that the two organisations should not be merged, although the possibility of co-location with the Met Office at Exeter is one of a number of options under examination for the future location of UKHO.

Middle East

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions he has had with his NATO counterparts regarding the involvement of European nations in an international peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon; and which countries have indicated that they will contribute to the force.

Adam Ingram: Following discussions with member states, the UN decided to reinforce and adapt the mandate of its existing peacekeeping force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). It is for the UN to say which countries will contribute to this force.
	The UK provided HMS York to a UN Temporary Maritime Task Force. This taskforce is expected to be replaced by a follow-on naval taskforce, under UNIFIL command, around mid-October, when HMS York will revert to operations in support of NATO.

Military Vehicles

Owen Paterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the use by Canadian forces of the RG-31 in Afghanistan.

Adam Ingram: We do not comment on the relative protection of our vehicles, or those used by our Allies, as to do so would prejudice the safety of our and our allies' personnel.
	We do, though, make regular assessments of the threats facing UK forces and of the potential vehicles available from manufacturers around the world that might help us defeat those threats. We use these assessments to keep our force protection measures, including tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP), and equipment, under constant review.
	On 26 June my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Defence informed the House that the Ministry of Defence was urgently reviewing the options for protected patrol vehicles, with a view to identifying what else could be done as quickly as possible and in the longer term. The RG-31 was considered, alongside a number of alternatives. On 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 75WS, he announced the results of the review.

Military Vehicles

Peter Bone: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the Government will take urgent action to provide additional protection to Land Rovers being operated by the armed forces.

Des Browne: pursuant to the reply, 18 September 2006, Official Report, c.2483W
	I stated that weight constraints mean it is not possible to provide additional armour to the Land Rover fleet. This was inaccurate, and I should say that weight constraints on the Snatch Land Rover chassis mean it is not possible for the vehicle to carry significant additional armour.

Personnel Emergency Locator System

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what progress has been made towards the delivery of the 406 MHz Personnel Emergency Locator System; what trials are planned for this system; and if he will make a statement.

Adam Ingram: The Personnel Emergency Locator System programme is in its assessment phase. Work to define the user requirement is in the final stages and a broad supplier base has been identified. Initial trials will be undertaken with selected suppliers to assess the level of compliance of their product with the Ministry of Defence requirement. These are expected to take place during the latter part of next year. Further trials with a preferred bidder will aim to demonstrate satisfactory performance of the chosen equipment in realistic environments and full operation of the system, from emergency alert to recovery of the aircrew.

Personnel Emergency Locator System

Richard Bacon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what representations he has  (a) sought and  (b) received from RAF aircrew on the incorporation of voice capability in the 406 MHz Personnel Emergency Locator System.

Adam Ingram: The 406MHz Personal Emergency Locator System will be used to assist in location of UK aircrew during peacetime (but not in hostile environments) in the event of a forced landing or evacuation from an aircraft. In specifying the new system, it was agreed by experts in the Equipment Capability Customer area and the Service front line Commands (including RAF aircrew) that a voice capability was not required. The decision was taken because it was assessed that a voice requirement would not enhance peacetime search capability, and could potentially (for example by reducing battery life) reduce the effectiveness of the system.

Pilot Training

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many training hours flying time per month fast jet pilots will have access to in 2006-07.

Adam Ingram: The 2006-07 planned average flying hours per month per fast jet pilot on operational squadrons is:
	
		
			   Hours per month 
			 Harrier 17.5 
			 Jaguar 16.5 
			 Tornado F3 17.5 
			 Tornado GR4 17.5 
			 Typhoon 17.5 
		
	
	The figures do not include operational conversion unit (OCU) flying hours, which are calculated annually and are shown in the following table. As training needs vary considerably, these hours are allocated to the unit and not to individual pilots.
	
		
			   Hours per year 
			 Harrier OCU 4,290 
			 Tornado F3 OCU (1)3,968 
			 Tornado GR4 OCU 6,600 
			 Typhoon OCU 3,998 
			 (1)56(R) Squadron flies an additional 411 hours in support of the Falkland Islands and other operations such as Quick Reaction Alert (QRA).  Notes: 1. OCUs work on a 'block' number of hours allocated to them to accommodate course flying and provide Staff Continuation Training (SCT). SCT also includes teaching sorties. 2. With the continued drawdown of the fleet, there is no longer conversion training on the Jaguar.

Pilot Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the readiness and capability of the Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids platform for training Typhoon pilots;
	(2)  how much has been spent on the Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids platform for training Typhoon pilots.

Adam Ingram: The in-service date for Aircrew Synthetic Training Aids (ASTA) was achieved in August 2005 with the handover of the emulated deployable cockpit trainer at RAF Coningsby. Typhoon aircrew synthetic training demand is being met by these systems and is expected to be supplemented by the first ASTA cockpit trainer and full mission simulator from December 2006.
	Approximately 200 million has been spent on ASTA to date.

Pilot Training

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  how long the maintenance SIM trainer for the Typhoon platform has been in development;
	(2)  what the timetable is for completion of the maintenance SIM trainer for the Typhoon platform;
	(3)  how much has been spent on the maintenance SIM trainer for the Typhoon platform.

Adam Ingram: Maintenance SIM trainer (MST) has been developed as part of the ground training aids contract that was signed in December 2000. MST achieved type acceptance at an interim standard in 2005 and is planned to be delivered to an upgraded standard by the end of 2006. The total value of the MST contract to the four Typhoon partner nations is 26.7 million, of which 22.2 million has been spent to date.

Reservists

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many army reservists have been deployed on active service overseas in each of the last five years.

Derek Twigg: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer my predecessor gave to the hon. Member for North Devon (Nick Harvey) on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1712W.

Salaries

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what the salary was of an  (a) SAS and  (b) SBS (i) trooper and (ii) sergeant in each of the last five years.

Adam Ingram: Other rank members of the SAS and SBS are on a single bespoke incremental pay structure. Minimum and maximum annual basic pay rates for troopers and sergeants for 2002-06 are shown in the following table. In addition, SAS and SBS personnel are paid specialist pay for recruitment and retention purposes. Minimum and maximum annual rates of specialist pay for SAS and SBS other ranks for the years 2002-06 are also shown in the table. The precise level of specialist pay received by individuals depends on their length of service in the SAS or SBS.
	
		
			   Annual Basic Pay  
			   Trooper  Sergeant  Annual Specialist PayAll Other Ranks 
			 2002 25,944 to 29,244 33,189 to 36,730 3,745 to 7,884 
			 2003 26,846 to 30,261 34,345 to 38,009 3,876 to 8,158 
			 2004 27,521 to 31,025 35,212 to 38,967 3,938 to 8,442 
			 2005 28,346 to 31,956 36,266 to 40,135 4,055 to 8,694 
			 2006 29,196 to 32,916 37,354 to 41,340 6,369 to13,534

Services Medical Personnel

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence why there has been a delay in considering the recommendations of the Armed Services Pay Review Body for doctors and nurses; and if he will make a statement.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the statement I made on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 71WS.
	Given the significant recruitment and retention difficulties experienced by service medical and dental officers, the Government wanted to carefully consider the Armed Forces Pay Review Body report in order to ensure that it delivered an appropriate package which recognises the vital contribution made by these officers.

Trident

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence pursuant to his answer of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 597W, to the hon. Member for Angus (Mr. Weir), on Trident, what the reasons are for the increase in the annual expenditure for capital and running costs of the Trident nuclear deterrent to between 5 and 5.5 per cent. of the defence budget in 2006-07.

Des Browne: The increase is due primarily to the programme of additional investment in sustaining key skills and facilities at the Atomic Weapons Establishment announced by my right hon. Friend the Member for Airdrie and Shotts (John Reid) on 19 July 2006,  Official Report, column 59WS.

Unauthorised Flights

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what estimate he has made of the number of unauthorised helicopter flights by UK forces that have taken place in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan in each of the last 12 months.

Adam Ingram: There have been no unauthorised helicopter flights by UK forces in Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 12 months.

Unauthorised Flights

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the number of UK personnel  (a) injured and  (b) killed as a result of unauthorised flights in the armed forces in the last 12 months;
	(2)  what procedures are in place to minimise (a) equipment abuse and (b) unauthorised flights by UK forces.

Adam Ingram: The Ministry of Defence has procedures to ensure that all equipment is used and maintained correctly and appropriate training is provided in its use. The abuse of equipment can lead to disciplinary action being taken against individuals.
	Procedures for authorising flights made by a UK military aircraft are laid down in joint service publications which require that all military flights are authorised by a suitably qualified authorising officer. All Boards of Inquiry into fatal aircraft accidents over the last 12 months have found that the flights were authorised. A Board of Inquiry is not held for every person hurt on a military flight.

ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Barry Gardiner: The Department came into being in July 2001. Information is not held centrally on the average hourly rate paid by the Department to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency. The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Animal Welfare

David Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what plans he has to draft secondary legislation to control the use of electronic shock collars on canines.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 13 September 2006
	I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1482W.

Asbestos

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will bring forward proposals to establish regulatory criteria for the levels of asbestos that may exist in soil; what response he has made to the Atkins report on Spodden Valley asbestos contamination; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Where land contamination is being considered under the Town and Country Planning regime, it is recommended that guidance from the former Interdepartmental Committee on the Redevelopment of Contaminated Land and from the Health and Safety Executive, should be taken into account. Appropriate health protection professionals in local authorities, the Health Protection Agency, the Food Standards Agency and the Health and Safety Executive may also be consulted regarding the assessment of potential risks to human health from asbestos exposure. I understand this has been the case at Spodden Valley.
	The Environment Agency has made asbestos a priority substance for review as part of its work on developing technical guidance for assessing risks to human health from land contamination. It is working with the Health Protection Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Health and Safety Laboratory to further understand the toxicology and behaviour of asbestos in soils. This work will help in developing a toxicological report in the Contaminated Land Exposure Assessment series, and more detailed qualitative risk assessment guidance. This material will support decision-making under part 2A of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (Contaminated Land), and in connection with planning applications on land affected by asbestos contamination, both of which entail risk assessment.
	Reports were commissioned from Atkins by the local authority in connection with their decision on the planning application. They were not intended for submission to my Department, but copies have been provided to the agencies working with the council on this issue.

Beaches (Sewage)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many cases of pollution involving raw sewage being found on or near a beach around the English coast have occurred since 2001; if he will list the areas so affected; what action is being taken to eliminate such occurrences; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The Environment Agency monitors water quality at bathing beaches, and in 2005, 99 per cent. of the 405 coastal bathing waters in England met minimum standards of the EC Bathing Water Directive and 85 per cent. met the stricter guideline standards. This compares to 2001 when 98 per cent. of the 397 bathing waters met minimum standards and 70 per cent. met stricter standards.
	Data on the exact number of incidents of sewage pollution affecting beaches are not held by the Department. However, any reports of such pollution are investigated to identify the cause, and action is taken to control the sources of pollution.
	The amount spent, or planned to be spent, by water companies for improvements directly to bathing waters in England and Wales, for the period 2000 to 2010, is 223 million. There have also been indirect benefits, mainly from Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive schemes, which have improved levels of sewage treatment. The Environment Agency continues to identify and tackle other problems such as unsatisfactory non-water company sewage discharges and misconnections to surface water drains.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what account he will take of the results from the Citizens Jury run as part of the recent consultation on a new strategy for bovine TB.

Ben Bradshaw: The Citizens' Panels are an integral part of the wider public consultation on badger culling. A decision on badger culling will be based on a sound scientific and practical foundation and will take into account all available evidence including the results from the public consultation.

Bovine Tuberculosis

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the correlation between the number of incidents of bovine TB in cattle herds and the change in compensation payments to a tabular system.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 18 September 2006
	At my request, the chief veterinary officer (CVO) carried out a review on the causes of the recent fall in the number of new TB incidents. Her report assessed a range of factors which may have reduced the risk of disease-spread or led to changes in behaviour among cattle farmers. It concluded that the new compensation arrangements were relatively recent and could not have had a significant effect on the reduction in TB we have experienced.
	Additionally, it should be noted that while the table valuation system for determining TB compensation has not been adopted in Wales, the drop in new TB incidents has been experienced in both Wales and England.
	The CVO's report is available on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/animalh/tb/pdf/cvo-tbstatement.pdf

Butter

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on access rights to the UK market of New Zealand butter; what the legal basis is for preventing its importation; and what obligations in respect of such imports arise from  (a) the UK accession talks and  (b) associated ministerial guarantees.

Barry Gardiner: Under Protocol 18 of the Treaty of Accession, the UK was authorised to import certain specified quantities of butter from New Zealand at a reduced duty. Following the Uruguay Round of negotiations, the quota was increased and became an EU current access quota. The rules for the administration of the quota are currently set out in Commission Regulation EC (No.) 2535/2001.
	A judgment by the European Court of Justice on 11 July 2006, in case number 313/04 (Franz Egenberger GmbH Molkerei und Trockenwerk  v. Bundesanstalt fr Landwirtschaft und Ernhrung), held some aspects of the administration of the quota discriminatory and therefore invalid. Following this judgment, the European Commission, under Commission Regulation EC (No.) 1118/2006, temporarily suspended the issuing of import licences for New Zealand butter imported under the current access quota. On 14 September, the Management Committee for Milk and Milk Products voted on a draft Regulation which will lift the temporary suspension and allow the remaining 14,294.6 tonnes of butter left under the 2006 quota to be imported before 31 December under a modified procedure. The Regulation is expected to be published shortly.
	Discussions are ongoing between the European Commission and New Zealand on the changes necessary to Commission Regulation EC (No.) 2535/2001 for the 2007 quota year and beyond.

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the carbon dioxide emissions were per capita for  (a) all African countries,  (b) all EU countries and  (c) all G8 countries in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA does not hold this information. However, emissions estimates are submitted under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) which is the parent treaty for Kyoto protocol and the Montreal decisions. These emissions data are available on the UNFCCC website at: http://unfccc.int/2860.php
	Annex I Parties to the UNFCCC (including all EU countries, and Russia, the US and Japan from the G8) submit emissions inventories annually; the most recent year for which data are available is 2003.
	The most recent data that non-Annex I Parties (including China from the G8) to the UNFCCC have submitted is for 1994.
	The UNFCCC emissions data are not collected on a per capita basis.

Consultants

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been paid in fees to external consultants working on the amalgamation of English Nature, the Rural Development Service and the Countryside Agency; and from which budget the payments are made.

Barry Gardiner: The costs of external consultants in establishing Natural England have come from DEFRA's budget and are as follows:
	
		
			   () 
			 2003-04  
			 2004-05 47,383 
			 2005-06 2,067,565 
			 2006-07 326,951

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter dated 12 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms C. Greenaazeh.

Barry Gardiner: My right hon. and noble Friend Lord Rooker responded to my right hon. Friend's letter on 13 September.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 6 April from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire which was transferred to his Department from the Department of Trade and Industry.

Ian Pearson: I apologise for the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letter. A response was issued on 18 September.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 21 July 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. D. I. Ford.

Barry Gardiner: I apologise for the delay. A reply was sent on 6 September 2006. I have arranged for a copy to be resent.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he will reply to the letter of 12 May 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester Gorton with regard to Mrs. C. Greenhalgh.

Barry Gardiner: I apologise for the delay. A reply was sent on 13 September 2006. I have arranged for a copy to be resent.

Countryside and Rights of Way Act

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the impact of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 on the numbers of walkers in the countryside.

Barry Gardiner: The right of access under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 has been in place throughout England for nearly a year and implementation has been generally trouble free on the ground.
	The results of the 2005 England Leisure Visits Survey, expected to be published later this year by Natural England, will provide information on the number of people using the right of access. The results will provide a baseline against which to measure any impact of the new access rights on walkers' use of open country and registered common land.

Crematorium Fees

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment the Government have made of the effect of Process Guidance Note 5/2 (04) on local authority crematorium fees.

Ben Bradshaw: Process Guidance Note 5/2 (04) did not specify major pollution control improvements for existing crematoria, beyond those contained in previous versions of the guidance issued in 1995 and 1991. It did, however, specify that new crematoria should have equipment fitted to abate mercury emissions.
	Following two written consultations (available on the DEFRA website at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/closed.htm), an amendment to Process Guidance Note 5/2 (04) was issued in January 2005 which specified that 50 per cent. of all cremations at existing crematoria should be subject to mercury abatement by the end of 2012.
	The consultation papers estimated that the cost of fitting mercury abating equipment to all crematoria would be likely to increase cremation fees by 55 per cremation. Since the decision was to apply this to only 50 per cent. of cremations, using an innovative 'burden sharing' approach to regulation, it is estimated that the increase should be in the region of 25 to 30. To put this into perspective; figures from the Office of Fair Trading in 2001 put the average cost of a cremation funeral at 1,215 and 2,048 for a burial.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the total carbon emissions from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Ian Pearson: The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs was created on 8 June 2001.
	Annual carbon emissions from those buildings on the DEFRA and Executive Agency estate for which we have contractual responsibility for energy use are shown as follows:
	
		
			   Tonnes carbon 
			 2001-02 12,063.0 
			 2002-03 12,032.7 
			 2003-04 11,887.9 
			 2004-05 11,732.3 
			 2005-06 12,547.6 
		
	
	These figures should be viewed in the context of changes in the structure of the estate and a 27 per cent. increase in staff employed in DEFRA and its Executive Agencies over the period 2001-022005-06.
	The rise in 2005-06 is largely due changes in the structure of our HQ office estate. Several large new laboratory buildings were added during the year, and extended office opening hours at one of DEFRA's Executive Agencies also affected energy use and carbon emissions.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what child care  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to his Department's staff.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA's child care provision, and the assistance available to the Department's staff is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  DEFRA child care provision 
			  Child care type  Location  Places  Full-time costs/subsidies 
			 Workplace nurseries York 44 325372 monthly 
			  Guildford 40 241398 monthly 
			 Subsidised places in external nurseries London 11 60 subsidycosts vary dependent on location 
			  Bristol 3 60 subsidycosts vary dependent on location 
			 Discounted fees in external nurseries Newcastle London (1) 7 per cent. discount in chain of nurseries 
			  London (1) 10 per cent. discount in chain of over 44 nurseries 
			 Holiday play schemes London (1) 16.33 daily 
			  Guildford (1) 12.60 daily 
			  York (1) 18.70 daily 
			 (1) Dependent on demand 
		
	
	DEFRA employees are also able to use a salary sacrifice scheme to reduce their child care costs by up to 243 per month.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which of his Department's premises have child care facilities on-site.

Barry Gardiner: There are currently on-site childcare facilities at the DEFRA offices in York and Guildford, and at the Central Science Laboratory, Sand Mutton.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which his Department provides for its employees.

Barry Gardiner: There are waiting lists for nursery places at all childcare facilities which DEFRA provides for its employees except the nursery on its Guildford site.

Departmental Contracts

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what contracts his Department has entered into with  (a) Infoterra Ltd. and  (b) BlueSky International Ltd. since 1997.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA came into being in July 2001. From information held centrally, the Department has spent 1,951,164.92 with Infoterra Ltd. from financial year 2001-02 through financial year 2005-06 with the payments related to work on IT elements of the English Rural Development programme. No records of payments exist for BlueSky International Ltd.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Barry Gardiner: A list of publications produced by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (including those relevant publications from the Departments that formed DEFRA in June 2001) is detailed on the DEFRA website (Publications link on the main website 'home' page; http://www.defra. gov.uk/corporate/publications/default.htm).
	The circulation and individual production cost of each of the publications could be collated only at a disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA does not operate any tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles by its employees.
	Advances of salary are available at the Department's discretion, to assist staff with the purchase of a bicycle and essential equipment, for travelling between home and office. This arrangement is also available to staff with disabilities requiring specialist equipment. The advanceabove 50 and up to a maximum of 600is repayable over a maximum period of 12 months.
	Travelling by bicycle is strongly encouraged as part of DEFRA's sustainable travel strategy, and is promoted via dedicated pages on the DEFRA staff intranet, and some offices have their own bicycle user groups.
	A large number of DEFRA offices offer a range of facilities for cyclists including: secure cycle storage; lockers; drying facilities; and showers.

Departmental Targets

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether any of his Department's Public Service Agreement targets have been withdrawn in the last three years.

Barry Gardiner: No.
	The Department provides regular performance updates against its outstanding Public Service Agreement targets through its annual departmental report and its autumn performance report published in spring/summer and autumn respectively. The 2006 version, which is the most recently published, is available in the House Libraries and online at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/deprep/2006/index.htm.
	DEFRA's 2006 autumn performance report is due for publication in autumn 2006.

Emission Reductions

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions his Department has had with the Department of Trade and Industry on emission reduction scenarios.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA continues to liaise closely with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), both at official and ministerial level, as we work to meet the challenges of climate change.
	The package of measures in the 2006 UK Climate Change Programme (UKCCP), are projected to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to 16.2 per cent. below 1990 levels by 2010.
	Moreover, the measures contained in both the 2006 UKCCP, and the Energy Review published by the DTI in July 2006, will ensure that we can make real progress towards the long-term goal to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by about 2050, that we committed to in the 2003 Energy White Paper.
	The UK Climate Change Programme is available on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/ukccp/index.html.
	The Energy Review is available on the DTI website at: http://www.dti.gov.uk/energv/review/page31995.html.

Energy Rating of Dwellings

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how the fuel prices per kWh in table 12 of the Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings 2005 are derived; and how the figures are kept updated to reflect variations in the relative prices of fuels.

Ian Pearson: The fuel prices in table 12 of the Standard Assessment Procedure for Energy Rating of Dwellings 2005 are derived from information produced at six-monthly intervals by Salkent (now Sutherland's Tables). The data given for different regions of the UK are weighted according to the population of the region, and the price of each fuel is averaged over a three-year period (to smooth the effect of short-term variations).
	The prices in table 12 are updated when a new edition of Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) is prepared. The calculation of the SAP rating includes a deflator term to adjust for general inflation in fuel prices, thus an increase in price of say 10 per cent. in all fuels would have no effect on the SAP ratings following recalculation of the prices and the deflator term.

Environment Agency

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much funding his Department has provided to the Environment Agency for flood protection in each of the past five years; and what funding will be provided in  (a) 2007-08 and  (b) 2008-09.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA funding to the Environment Agency for flood risk management is as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 2002-03 66.7 
			 2003-04 76.1 
			 2004-05 358.6 
			 2005-06 426.9 
			 2006-07 413.0 
		
	
	Prior to 2004-05 the flood risk management function of the Agency was funded primarily through a combination of grants from DEFRA for specific projects and levies on local authorities. The latter, which were largely supported by Revenue Support Grant from the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are not included in the table. Both forms of funding were largely replaced by grant in aid from DEFRA from 2004/05 onwards.
	Figures for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are outturn of DEFRA grant in aid and 2006-07 is a budget allocation. Funding for later years has yet to be decided.

Environment Agency

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the budget of the Environment Agency was in the last 10 financial years in real terms  (a) in total and  (b) broken down by (i) grant-in-aid from Government, (ii) funding for flood defences and (iii) grant-in-aid from Government excluding flood defences.

Ian Pearson: Table 1 shows actual spending and funding figures for the Environment Agency in England. Table 2 shows approximate real-terms equivalents calculated using the Public Works Non- Road Inflation (PWNRI) index published by the Department of Trade and Industry, with 1996-97 as the base year. These latter equivalents should be viewed as a rough guide only because the PWNRI is unlikely to be an exact measurement of cost changes for the goods and services procured by the Agency, especially for the non flood risk elements.
	
		
			  Table 1: Actual values 
			Funding 
			   million 
			   Total EA expenditure( 1)  Total grant in aid (GIA)  Funding for flood risk management (GIA from 2004-05 onwards)  GIA for other purposes (Environment Protection, Conservation, Recreation, Navigation and Fisheries) 
			 1996-97 519.2 119.8 45.9 119.8 
			 1997-98 558.2 119.2 43.0 119.2 
			 1998-99 546.9 109.8 33.8 109.8 
			 1999-2000 568.8 105.4 33.0 105.4 
			 2000-01 589.2 110.2 41.9 110.2 
			 2001-02 650.7 105.0 61.5 105.0 
			 2002-03 723.2 118.6 66.7 118.6 
			 2003-04 760.2 126.8 76.1 126.8 
			 2004-05 811.4 482.9 358.6 124.3 
			 2005-06(3) 943.0 577.6 426.9 150.7 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Rough estimates of real-terms equivalents of table 1 (million) 
			Funding 
			   million 
			   Total EA expenditure( 1)  Total Grant in Aid (GIA)  Funding for flood risk management (GIA from 2004-05 onwards)  GIA for other purposes (Environment Protection, Conservation, Recreation, Navigation and Fisheries) 
			 1996-97(2) 519.2 119.8 45.9 119.8 
			 1997-98 541.1 115.6 41.7 115.6 
			 1998-99 509.4 102.3 31.5 102.3 
			 1999-2000 519.1 96.2 30.1 96.2 
			 2000-01 517.4 96.8 36.8 96.8 
			 2001-02 555.1 89.6 52.5 89.6 
			 2002-03 598.4 98.1 55.2 98.1 
			 2003-04 611.1 101.9 61.2 101.9 
			 2004-05 605.7 360.5 267.7 92.8 
			 2005-06(3) 689.1 422.1 312.0 110.1 
			 (1)Includes funding from other sources. (2)As the base year, 1996-97 values are actual. (3)Total EA budget for 2005-06 is forecast pending finalisation of outturn spend figures. 
		
	
	Prior to 2004-05 the flood risk management function of the Agency was funded primarily through a combination of grant from DEFRA for specific projects and levies on local authorities. The latter, which were largely supported by Revenue Support Grant from the former Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, are not included in the table. Both forms of funding were largely replaced by grant in aid from DEFRA from 2004-05 onwards.

Environmental Directives

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 713W, on environmental directives, which environmental directives were agreed and published between May 1997 and the formation of his Department; what the transposition date is of each; whether they have been transposed; and which Government Department is responsible for monitoring UK compliance.

Ian Pearson: Defra does not hold central records of environmental directives agreed and published between May 1997 and the formation of the Department in June 2001. The information requested could only be assembled at disproportionate cost.
	However, details of all directives in force can be found on the Eur-Lex database available on the European Union's website at: http://europa.eu.int/eur-lex.

EU Food Designations

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many applications he has received for the European Union's  (a) Protected Designation of Origin status,  (b) Protected Geographical Indication designation and  (c) Traditional Speciality Guaranteed designation for UK products in 2006; and how many he received in each of the last five years in each case.

Barry Gardiner: The number of applications made for protection under the European Union's Protected Food Names Scheme, under each designation, for 2006 and the last five years, is set out in the following table. Of these 30 applications, six have been forwarded to the European Commission to consider and 24 are at various stages of the UK assessment process.
	
		
			   (a) PDO  (b) PGI  (c) TSG 
			 2006 (to date) 1 2  
			 2005 1 8  
			 2004 2 5 1 
			 2003 3   
			 2002 3 1 1 
			 2001 1 1

EU Food Designations

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many UK applications for the European Union's  (a) Protected Designation of Origin,  (b) Protected Geographical Indication and  (c) Traditional Speciality Guaranteed designation have been successful in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2017W.

Farm Subsidies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1857W, on single farm payments, when Single Payment Scheme details of  (a) the number of payments made,  (b) the number of outstanding payments,  (c) the value of payments made and  (d) the value of outstanding payments in England up to 30 June 2006 are expected to be published.

Barry Gardiner: The figures were published on 5 July and showed that up to 30 June, the close of the regulatory Single Payment Scheme payment window,  (a) a total of 107,888 full or partial payments had been made,  (b) 8,500 customers had yet to receive a payment of which 460 had claims valued at more than 1,000 (682),  (c) the value of payments made was 1,438,233,836 and the value of outstanding payments was approximately 77 million.

Farm Subsidies

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1857W, on single farm payments, what the total value is of single farm payments which  (a) have been made and  (b) are outstanding, broken down by English region.

Barry Gardiner: The latest figures published on 27 September showed Single Payment Scheme payments totalling 1,497,691,761 had been made. It is not possible to give a regional breakdown of the remainder at this stage, but the intention is to publish full details of payments to farmers by region shortly after the conclusion of the payment cycle. These latest figures indicated that approximately 18 million of the 1.515 billion estimated total fund remained to be paid to farmers across England who are eligible for payment.

Farmers' Ages

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what estimate he has made of the average age of farmers in England in each of the last 20 years.

Barry Gardiner: The average age of agricultural holders is included in the Farm Structure Surveys. These surveys are held across all member states of the European Union four times every decade and are part funded by the European Commission. The latest Farm Structure Survey for holders in the UK is published on the DEFRA website http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/publications/FFS1/default.asp.
	Data from the Farm Structure Surveys show that the average age of holders in England was 53 years in 1990, 53 years in 1993, 54 years in 1995, 53 years in 1997, 54 years in 2000 and 55 years in 2003. These figures exclude 'minor'(1 )holdings.
	(1) 'Minor' holdings are holdings that fulfil ALL of the following criteria: less than six ha total area; fewer than 100 standard man days per year; no regular full time worker employed; less than 100 square metres of glasshouse area; and the occupier does not farm any other holding.

Flooding (Gloucestershire)

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his assessment is of the changes in future risk of flooding in Gloucestershire from  (a) the Severn and  (b) the Wye as a result of (i) human impact on the physical environment and (ii) climate change.

Ian Pearson: The UK faces rising sea levels and more frequent floods and storms as a result of climate change, although there is still considerable uncertainty about the extent and timing of these changes.
	In 2004, the then Office of Science and Technology's Foresight report Future Flooding examined future flood and coastal defence in the UK. It found that annual economic losses to flooding would increase by the 2080s, although there is considerable uncertainty about the extent of that increase.
	The Environment Agency integrates climate risk into its decision-making on flooding. For example, the Agency allows for an increase of 20 per cent. in peak flood flows in its assessment of future flood risk along the rivers Severn and Wye. It also assumes an annual 5 mm increase in predicted water levels in the Severn estuary as part of its planning for the possibility of future sea level rise.

Gangmasters

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many gangmasters are licensed in Kent to provide employees for supermarkets.

Barry Gardiner: The gangmasters licensing scheme applies to labour providers who supply workers to work in agriculture, horticulture and the food processing and packaging sectors. It also applies to the supply and use of workers to gather shellfish. The scheme does not apply to the supply of labour to work in retail establishments, such as supermarkets.
	As at 3 October 2006, 36 licence holders or applicants with headquarters located in Kent were recorded by the Gangmasters Licensing Authority.

GM Crops

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on what evidence the new guidelines on the safe distances between GM crops and to non-GM crops were based.

Ian Pearson: The separation distances we have proposed in our consultation paper on the coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops are based on a report by the National Institute of Agricultural Botany (NIAB). Both the consultation paper and the NIAB report can be found on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate /consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm and http://www 2.defra.gov.uk/research/project_data/More.asp?l=CB0 2039M=KWSV=CB02039SCOPE=0 respectively.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the study of technologies for biological containment of GM and non-GM crops funded by his Department.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA commissioned a desk study from the University of Reading into technologies for Biological containment, which was published in June 2006. On receipt of the study DEFRA referred it to the Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE). ACRE's advice on this report can be found on the ACRE website at the following link:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/acre/advice/pdf/acre_advice73.pdf.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the conclusions of the study evaluating the environmental impact of crop production practice conducted by Rothamsted Research on behalf of his Department.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA has conducted a significant number of studies around the environmental impact of agricultural production practice, including several at Rothamsted Research. Rothamsted Research is currently leading a research project to provide an evidence-based specification for the assessment of indirect effects of novel crops or production practices on farmland ecology and wildlife. The project title is 'Assessing the environmental impact of crop production practice: beyond the GM farm-scale evaluation (AR0317)'.
	This research is about the development of assessment methodology. Further details are available on the DEFRA website at:
	http://www2.defra.gov.uk/research/Project_Data/More.asp?I=AR0317M=KWSV=ICE.
	The research is ongoing and due for completion in early 2007. Thus, we have not yet made any assessment of conclusions.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what  (a) consultations and  (b) Government funded studies related to GM crops are under way.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA is currently consulting on proposed measures to ensure that GM, conventional and organic crops can coexist, should approved GM crops be grown here commercially in due course. Further details can be found on our website at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm
	DEFRA is also currently inviting comments on an application to conduct a research and development trial in England next year of a GM blight-resistant potato. Further background on this is available at:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/regulation/applications/06-r42-01.htm
	Detailed information on GM-related research projects funded by DEFRA is being placed in the Libraries of the House.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much his Department has spent on research into genetically modified crops in each year since 1997, broken down by  (a) project and  (b) funding stream; and how much it plans to spend over the next three years in each case.

Ian Pearson: The following table contains information on research into genetically modified crops commissioned by DEFRA since its creation in 2001, and projects taken over by the Department from its predecessors, the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Department for Environment, Transport and the Regions. Information on future years' spend is included where commitments extend into future years. The funding for each of these research projects came from DEFRA's central research and development budget.
	
		
			  DEFRA research projects on genetically modified organisms 
			   Cost () 
			  Project code  Project title  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 AR0317 Assessing the environmental impact of crop production practice: beyond the GM farm-scale evaluation 0 0 0 0 
			 AR1001 Scale-up of Agrobacterium mediated transformation of oats to detect low frequency stable integrations 11,966 0 0 0 
			 AR1002 Genetic transformation of wheat using Agrobacterium tumifaciens 14,093 0 0 0 
			 AR1003 Reproducible Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems for wheat and barley 15,068 0 0 0 
			 AR1005 BRACTBiotechnology Resources for Arable Crop Transformation 0 0 228,106 313,281 
			 CB02001 Farm-scale evaluations of GM beet and farmland wildlife 485,517 501,052 0 0 
			 CB02002 Farm-scale evaluations of GM maize and farmland wildlife 381,515 680,142 222,704 15,405 
			 CB02003 Farm-scale evaluations of GM spring oilseed rape and wildlife 431,515 430,727 0 0 
			 CB02004 Farm-scale evaluations of GM winter oilseed rape and wildlife 354,811 440,316 255,896 0 
			 RG0116 Farm-scale evaluationscontribution from MAFF 50,000 50,000 0 0 
			 CB02005 Monitoring gene flow from the GM crop to non-GM equivalent crops in the vicinity 76,406 90,340 12,772 25,544 
			 CB02006 Gene flow monitoring: herbicide resistance genes to wild crop relatives 128,954 117,328 34,266 10,342 
			 CB02007 Impact of Bt exudates from roots of GM plants 18,835 18,834 0 0 
			 CB02008 Impact of transgenes for herbivore and virus resistance 104,830 0 50,142 0 
			 CB02010 Modelling effects on farmland food webs of herbicide and insecticide management I 0 150,564 0 0 
			 CB02011 Compositional traitseffect on GM survivability and persistence 0 14,981 34,964 0 
			 CB02012 Modelling effects on farmland food webs of herbicide and insecticide management II 0 114,781 23,731 0 
			 CB02013 Biodiversity effects of management associated with GM cropping systems 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02014 Impacts of contemporary and alternative arable cropping systems 0 44,654 0 0 
			 CB02016 Assessment of the distribution of GM material in kernel lots 0 0 14,000 21,020 
			 CB02017 Non-target effects of transgenic crop plants resistant to virus diseases 68,756 72,383 0 0 
			 CB02018 Determining risks to soil organisms associated with a genetically modified crop expressing a biopesticide in its roots 67,310 71,792 0 36,882 
			 CB02019 Factors affecting rates of cross-pollination in maize growing under typical UK conditions 0 0 118,834 173,984 
			 CB02020 Factors affecting cross-pollination in OSR growing under typical UK conditions 0 86,815 198,343 152,065 
			 CB02021 Strategies for risk assessment, minimising the environmental impact of fungal disease-suppressing GM bacteria and plants 0 85,152 128,950 37,021 
			 CB02022 Supply chain impacts of further regulation of products consisting of, containing or derived from GMOs 0 0 72,944 0 
			 CB02023 Estimate consumer willingness to pay for reducing or eliminating GM products or derivatives in food and increasing robustness of the labelling regime 0 0 90,000 4,550 
			 CB02024 Mechanisms for investigating changes in soil ecology due to GMO releases 0 0 24,892 24,892 
			 CB02025 Insertion of cauliflower mosaic virus DNA into host genomes during natural viral infections 0 0 0 88,640 
			 CB02026 Curation of the data collected in the farm-scale evaluations 0 0 0 82,731 
			 CB02027 GM crop farm-scale evaluation results presentations and open meetings 0 0 60,105 0 
			 CB02029 The statistical theory and analysis of GMO enforcement 0 0 0 24,779 
			 CB02030 Support for the British Ornithologists' Union conference on GM crops and birds 0 0 10,000 0 
			 CB02031 Evaluation of the organisation and management of the GM farm-scale evaluations 0 0 16,000 0 
			 CB02032 The potential for horizontal gene transfer from transgenic plants to fungi 0 0 0 86,273 
			 CB02033 Monitoring occurrence of GM oilseed rape volunteers in subsequent oilseed rape crops at FSE sites 0 0 0 114,737 
			 CB02034 Farm-scale evaluations: further sampling of soil seed bank and seedling emergence 0 0 0 229,117 
			 CB02035 Sustainable introduction of GMOs into European agriculture (SIGMEA) 0 0 0 28,083 
			 CB02036 Desk study on technologies for biological containment of GM and non-GM crops 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02037 Farm-scale evaluations: further sampling of soil seed bank and seedling emergencecontract 2 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02038 GM co-existence consultationsupport for workshops 0 0 0 10,431 
			 CB02039 Review of separation distances and buffer crops for co-existence between GM and non-GM crops 0 0 0 43,295 
			 CB02040 Quantitative approaches to the risk assessment of GM crops 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02041 RNA-mediated gene silencing mechanisms and their implications in plants 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02042 Availability and use of general surveillance information for potential changes resulting from GM crop cultivation 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02043 Agronomic and environmental implications of the establishment of GM herbicide tolerant problem weeds 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02044 COEXTRA (GM and non-GM supply chains: their CO-EXistence and TRAceability 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02045 Detection and traceability technologies to underpin GM inspection and enforcement 0 0 40,193 19,278 
			 CB02046 Plasmid standards for real time PCR and UKAS accreditation of GM enforcement testing 0 0 33,056 11,645 
			 CE0158 Transformation of wheat by Agrobacterium co-cultivation 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0159 Development of a routine system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of barley 17,334 0 0 0 
			 CE0161 Agrobacterium mediated transformation of oats 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0171 Gene regulation in transgenic wheat including methods to increase expression and/or reduce variation in expression 78,054 0 0 0 
			 CE0172 Use of maize and rice MAR sequences to stabilise the expression of transgenes in wheat 87,865 80,610 45,000 0 
			 CE0173 Nuclear and plastid transformation of wheat and tritordeum using the streptomycinselectable aadA marker gene 26,083 0 0 0 
			 H0909SFV Genetics of transformation and regeneration in horticultural brassicas. 90,155 37,634 0 0 
			 H0915SMU Molecular analysis of integrative transformants of the mushroom 114,380 117,239 0 0 
			 H1020THN Genetic modification of rootstocks for disease resistance in rose. 152,056 0 0 0 
			 H1026SHN Conventional and biotechnological genetic improvement of hardy nursery stock 126,734 129,902 0 0 
			 H1031SSF Tissue and plastid targeted transgene expression in a perennial plant, strawberry 82,068 94,777 183,528 0 
			 H1616SPC Modification of chrysanthemum growth habit thorough genetic manipulation. 54,600 0 0 0 
			 H2119SSF Control of transgene expression in strawberry. 36,846 0 0 0 
			 H3706STF Examination of gusA transgene expression in the fruit of transgenic apple plants driven by plant promotors 29,398 0 0 0 
			 L0110LFV Genetic modification of Brassica oleracea for resistance to turnip and cauliflower mosiac viruses. 38,454 21,556 0 0 
			 HP0212 Suppression of sprouting in stored potato tubers by molecular manipulation of abscisic acid levels. 133,933 25,362 0 0 
			 HP0218 Dormancy and water use effeciency in potato tubers 0 126,098 175,337 183,668 
			 NF0507 Functional genomics in marine algae to discover genes that can be used to produce docosahexaenoic acid in oilseed crops 98,496 104,862 91,580 47,287 
			 NF0511 Isolation, and expression in plants, of novel spider silk genes 69,061 63,300 32,518 0 
			 NT2305 Developing wheat genotypes with reduced nitrogen requirement by manipulation to decrease Rubisco content 26,902 0 0 0 
			 PH0301 Containment of GM plant viruses 0 0 0 10,038 
			 RG0113 Risk assessment and hazard evaluation for GM bacteria used in the biological control of fungal disease of crops 64,696 0 0 0 
			 RG0114 Consequences for agriculture of the introduction of GM crops 32,574 27,264 0 0 
			 RG0115 A generic mathematical model for the integrated management of a crop containing antifeedant genes 59,050 14,912 0 0 
			 RG0123 A desk study on the pollination distances of genetically modified crops 1,280 0 0 0 
			 VS0123 Methods for the detection of adventitious GM material in non-GM seed 33,333 6,667 0 0 
			 VS0126 Prediction, sampling and management of GM impurities in fields and harvested yields of oilseed rape 0 0 49,837 98,962 
			 VS0130 Desk study to review methods for sampling seed lots to determine the presence of GM material 16,658 7,332 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			   Cost () 
			  Project code  Project title  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08  2008-09 
			 AR0317 Assessing the environmental impact of crop production practice: beyond the GM farm-scale evaluation 409,703 380,972 0 0 
			 AR1001 Scale-up of Agrobacterium mediated transformation of oats to detect low frequency stable integrations 0 0 0 0 
			 AR1002 Genetic transformation of wheat using Agrobacterium tumifaciens 0 0 0 0 
			 AR1003 Reproducible Agrobacterium-mediated transformation systems for wheat and barley 0 0 0 0 
			 AR1005 BRACTBiotechnology Resources for Arable Crop Transformation 287,581 69,500 0 0 
			 CB02001 Farm-scale evaluations of GM beet and farmland wildlife 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02002 Farm-scale evaluations of GM maize and farmland wildlife 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02003 Farm-scale evaluations of GM spring oilseed rape and wildlife 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02004 Farm-scale evaluations of GM winter oilseed rape and wildlife 0 0 0 0 
			 RG0116 Farm-scale evaluationscontribution from MAFF 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02005 Monitoring gene flow from the GM crop to non-GM equivalent crops in the vicinity 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02006 Gene flow monitoring: herbicide resistance genes to wild crop relatives 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02007 Impact of Bt exudates from roots of GM plants 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02008 Impact of transgenes for herbivore and virus resistance 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02010 Modelling effects on farmland food webs of herbicide and insecticide management I 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02011 Compositional traitseffect on GM survivability and persistence 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02012 Modelling effects on farmland food webs of herbicide and insecticide management II 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02013 Biodiversity effects of management associated with GM cropping systems 37,064 0 0 0 
			 CB02014 Impacts of contemporary and alternative arable cropping systems 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02016 Assessment of the distribution of GM material in kernel lots 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02017 Non-target effects of transgenic crop plants resistant to virus diseases 18,327 0 0 0 
			 CB02018 Determining risks to soil organisms associated with a genetically modified crop expressing a biopesticide in its roots 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02019 Factors affecting rates of cross-pollination in maize growing under typical UK conditions 174,722 179,880 183,995 0 
			 CB02020 Factors affecting cross-pollination in OSR growing under typical UK conditions 324,116 238,239 0 0 
			 CB02021 Strategies for risk assessment, minimising the environmental impact of fungal disease-suppressing GM bacteria and plants 104,277 0 0 0 
			 CB02022 Supply chain impacts of further regulation of products consisting of, containing or derived from GMOs 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02023 Estimate consumer willingness to pay for reducing or eliminating GM products or derivatives in food and increasing robustness of the labelling regime 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02024 Mechanisms for investigating changes in soil ecology due to GMO releases 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02025 Insertion of cauliflower mosaic virus DNA into host genomes during natural viral infections 87,451 27,446 0 0 
			 CB02026 Curation of the data collected in the farm-scale evaluations 82,731 13,366 13,683 1,810 
			 CB02027 GM crop farm-scale evaluation results presentations and open meetings 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02029 The statistical theory and analysis of GMO enforcement 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02030 Support for the British Ornithologists' Union conference on GM crops and birds 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02031 Evaluation of the organisation and management of the GM farm-scale evaluations 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02032 The potential for horizontal gene transfer from transgenic plants to fungi 196,255 39,251 0 0 
			 CB02033 Monitoring occurrence of GM oilseed rape volunteers in subsequent oilseed rape crops at FSE sites 385,263 0 0 0 
			 CB02034 Farm-scale evaluations: further sampling of soil seed bank and seedling emergence 122,642 0 0 0 
			 CB02035 Sustainable introduction of GMOs into European agriculture (SIGMEA) 28,083 28,082 0 0 
			 CB02036 Desk study on technologies for biological containment of GM and non-GM crops 52,506 0 0 0 
			 CB02037 Farm-scale evaluations: further sampling of soil seed bank and seedling emergencecontract 2 117,434 0 0 0 
			 CB02038 GM co-existence consultationsupport for workshops 0 0 0 0 
			 CB02039 Review of separation distances and buffer crops for co-existence between GM and non-GM crops 6,655 0 0 0 
			 CB02040 Quantitative approaches to the risk assessment of GM crops 100,000 0 0 0 
			 CB02041 RNA-mediated gene silencing mechanisms and their implications in plants 24,452 0 0 0 
			 CB02042 Availability and use of general surveillance information for potential changes resulting from GM crop cultivation 48,168 0 0 0 
			 CB02043 Agronomic and environmental implications of the establishment of GM herbicide tolerant problem weeds 40,123 0 0 0 
			 CB02044 COEXTRA (GM and non-GM supply chains: their CO-EXistence and TRAceability 23,523 33,098 30,000 31,094 
			 CB02045 Detection and traceability technologies to underpin GM inspection and enforcement 6,611 0 0 0 
			 CB02046 Plasmid standards for real time PCR and UKAS accreditation of GM enforcement testing 23,384 0 0 0 
			 CE0158 Transformation of wheat by Agrobacterium co-cultivation 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0159 Development of a routine system for Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of barley 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0161 Agrobacterium mediated transformation of oats 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0171 Gene regulation in transgenic wheat including methods to increase expression and/or reduce variation in expression 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0172 Use of maize and rice MAR sequences to stabilise the expression of transgenes in wheat 0 0 0 0 
			 CE0173 Nuclear and plastid transformation of wheat and tritordeum using the streptomycinselectable aadA marker gene 0 0 0 0 
			 H0909SFV Genetics of transformation and regeneration in horticultural brassicas. 0 0 0 0 
			 H0915SMU Molecular analysis of integrative transformants of the mushroom 0 0 0 0 
			 H1020THN Genetic modification of rootstocks for disease resistance in rose. 0 0 0 0 
			 H1026SHN Conventional and biotechnological genetic improvement of hardy nursery stock 0 0 0 0 
			 H1031SSF Tissue and plastid targeted transgene expression in a perennial plant, strawberry 0 0 0 0 
			 H1616SPC Modification of chrysanthemum growth habit thorough genetic manipulation. 0 0 0 0 
			 H2119SSF Control of transgene expression in strawberry. 0 0 0 0 
			 H3706STF Examination of gusA transgene expression in the fruit of transgenic apple plants driven by plant promotors 0 0 0 0 
			 L0110LFV Genetic modification of Brassica oleracea for resistance to turnip and cauliflower mosiac viruses. 0 0 0 0 
			 HP0212 Suppression of sprouting in stored potato tubers by molecular manipulation of abscisic acid levels. 0 0 0 0 
			 HP0218 Dormancy and water use effeciency in potato tubers 191,205 198,673 51,083 0 
			 NF0507 Functional genomics in marine algae to discover genes that can be used to produce docosahexaenoic acid in oilseed crops 0 0 0 0 
			 NF0511 Isolation, and expression in plants, of novel spider silk genes 0 0 0 0 
			 NT2305 Developing wheat genotypes with reduced nitrogen requirement by manipulation to decrease Rubisco content 0 0 0 0 
			 PH0301 Containment of GM plant viruses 0 0 0 0 
			 RG0113 Risk assessment and hazard evaluation for GM bacteria used in the biological control of fungal disease of crops 0 0 0 0 
			 RG0114 Consequences for agriculture of the introduction of GM crops 0 0 0 0 
			 RG0115 A generic mathematical model for the integrated management of a crop containing antifeedant genes 0 0 0 0 
			 RG0123 A desk study on the pollination distances of genetically modified crops 0 0 0 0 
			 VS0123 Methods for the detection of adventitious GM material in non-GM seed 0 0 0 0 
			 VS0126 Prediction, sampling and management of GM impurities in fields and harvested yields of oilseed rape 132,006 51,710 0 0 
			 VS0130 Desk study to review methods for sampling seed lots to determine the presence of GM material 0 0 0 0

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many representations his Department has received on the potential environmental impact of genetically modified crops in each of the last three years for which figures are available from  (a) biotechnology companies,  (b) environmental groups,  (c) individual experts,  (d) representatives of research institutes and universities and  (e) members of the public.

Ian Pearson: The Department has received representations from various companies, environmental groups, research institutes and members of the public on the potential environmental impact of genetically modified crops in each of the last three years. These have taken the form of letters, facsimiles, emails, telephone calls, parliamentary questions and meetings. Precise figures are not available for the number of representations received from each sector mentioned in the hon. Member's question.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs with which  (a) representative groups and  (b) non-governmental organisations the Department has planned meetings during the consultation period on genetically modified coexistence measures.

Ian Pearson: DEFRA officials have had two meetings with stakeholders to discuss issues relating to the consultation on proposals for managing the coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops in England. The first was with representatives and interest groups from the organic sector, and the second was with the farming and industry group, supply chain initiative on modified agricultural crops. At present, no other meetings are planned for the remainder of the consultation period.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what criteria were used by his Department to compile the list of organisations and people to be consulted as part of its consultation on coexistence of genetically modified crops.

Ian Pearson: The DEFRA consultation paper was sent to all organisations considered to have an interest in the coexistence issue. The paper was also posted on the DEFRA website and publicised through a press notice and press briefing. We are happy to receive views on this issue from anyone:
	http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/gmnongm-coexist/index.htm.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the distance needed to separate GM and non-GM oilseed rape to avoid contamination.

Ian Pearson: The science indicates that most cross- pollination takes place at relatively short distances. However, it is known that cross-pollination may occur infrequently over very long distances, depending on insect movements and the prevailing weather conditions.
	Under EU law, GM crops will only be approved for commercial use if they pass a detailed assessment of their potential impact on human health and the environment. In this context, therefore, it would not be necessary to apply a crop separation distance for safety reasons.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what role views submitted by members of the public to his Department's consultation on GM crop co-existence will play in the decision-making process following the consultation period.

Ian Pearson: We will consider and weigh up all the consultation responses very carefully before deciding how to proceed.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the timetable is for consultation on the co-existence of GM crops in  (a) Scotland,  (b) Wales and  (c) Northern Ireland.

Ian Pearson: Coexistence is a devolved issue and the authorities in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for determining their own consultation timetables.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with colleagues in  (a) Wales,  (b) Scotland and  (c) Northern Ireland on a co-ordinated approach to creating a timetable for implementing measures for the co-existence of GM and non-GM crops.

Ian Pearson: The implementation of coexistence measures is a devolved matter. Therefore, while we are maintaining contact with the authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland on this issue, each authority is responsible for reaching its own decisions on the way forward.
	DEFRA has issued a consultation paper on proposed measures for England, and the other UK authorities are expected to issue their own papers in due course. So far there have not been any discussions on a coordinated implementation timetable.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his Department's definition is of adventitious and technically unavoidable in the context of the legal threshold for contamination for GM co-existence measures.

Ian Pearson: Under EU law, products or individual ingredients are exempted from carrying a genetically modified (GM) label if they have an adventitious or technically unavoidable GM presence below 0.9 per cent. This provision must be interpreted in the wider context of the EU legislation on the authorisation of GM products, which clearly foresees farmers being able to choose whether to cultivate conventional, organic or approved GM crops. In the coexistence context, measures can therefore be imposed to minimise unwanted GM presence in non-GM crops, but they must not make it disproportionately difficult to grow authorised GM varieties.

GM Crops

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what advice his Department has received regarding the potential costs and burdens to farmers if a detailed GM crop register was established in the United Kingdom.

Ian Pearson: The cost and burden to farmers of a detailed genetically modified (GM) crop register would depend on the form that it took and whether farmers had to bear the administration costs. The only advice we have received on the possible cost of a register was from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. It has developed a proposal for a web-based register that it estimated might cost 150,000 to establish and 40,000 a year to maintain.
	Among other things, the current DEFRA consultation on proposals for managing the coexistence of genetically modified (GM) and non-GM crops seeks views on the pros and cons of establishing a public GM crop register.

GM Crops

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to strengthen the rules and regulations regarding the growing of genetically modified crops in the United Kingdom;
	(2)  what steps he is taking to ensure that the results from last year's genetically modified crop public consultation are incorporated into Government policy regarding the growing of genetically modified crops.

Ian Pearson: There is already strict European Union legislation controlling the release of genetically modified organisms, including genetically modified (GM) crops. This ensures that GM crops will only be approved for release if they pass a detailed case-by-case assessment of their potential impact on human health and the environment.
	The Government sponsored a GM Dialogue which ended in 2003. This comprised a public debate, a science review, and a study on the costs and benefits of GM crops. Further information is available on the DEFRA website at: www.defra.gov.uk/environment/gm/crops/debate/index.htm. After considering the findings of the dialogue process, the Government confirmed their overall policy on GM crops in a parliamentary statement from my right hon. Friend the Member for Derby, South (Margaret Beckett) on 9 March 2004,  Official Report, column 1379.
	In addition, DEFRA is currently consulting on proposals for managing the coexistence of GM and non-GM crops in England, should approved GM varieties be grown here commercially in the future. We have set out proposed measures that aim to minimise any unwanted GM presence in non-GM crops as far as possible, so that people can make an informed choice between conventional, organic and GM products. The consultation paper is available on the DEFRA website at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/qmnongm-coexist/index.htm. Policy on coexistence is a devolved matter and the authorities in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will be issuing their own consultation papers in due course.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what input  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report, Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement.

Barry Gardiner: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury (Stephen Timms) on 9 October.

Hazardous Waste

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many prosecutions have been brought against firms depositing treated hazardous waste in landfill sites licensed for the disposal of non-hazardous waste in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency has not yet completed prosecutions for any offence resulting from the deposit of hazardous waste at landfill sites licensed only for non-hazardous waste in 2005 or 2006. There are ongoing investigations under way which may result in prosecution.

Hazardous Waste

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what his estimate is of the proportion of treated hazardous waste which has been misclassified as non-hazardous and sent to non-hazardous landfill sites since 1 July 2005.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency does not have this data. Landfill sites are permitted only to receive either hazardous, non-hazardous or inert wastes. The Environment Agency regulates compliance at these sites and would consider taking enforcement action if hazardous wastes were being disposed of at sites permitted to receive only non-hazardous waste.

Horse Chestnuts

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the threat of disease to the horse chestnut tree species; and what steps are being taken to combat it.

Barry Gardiner: There are several diseases that affect the horse chestnut, of which the most serious is known from its symptoms as bleeding canker. Bleeding canker can have a number of causes, but the recent upsurge in prevalence of the disease appears to be associated with a bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae) although this has yet to be fully confirmed by the scientists working on it. The increase in disease has been noted in France, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands as well as Britain. Research into it is being led by scientists in the Netherlands. Though not necessarily fatal to infected trees, this is a widespread and serious disease. In common with other European countries, we are studying it to learn more about its origins, its impacts, and whether there are methods by which owners of trees could prevent or control infection.
	We are also monitoring an insect pest, the horse chestnut leaf miner, which is present in southern Britain. This moth has spread across Europe since the late 1970s and appeared in Britain in 2002. Its larvae feed inside leaves with heavy infestations causing shrivelling and falling of leaves. We have no reports from Britain, or elsewhere, that it causes fatal damage on its own. As with bleeding canker, our scientists are in close touch with colleagues across Europe who are investigating this pest.
	Advice to tree and woodland owners and managers on these and other pests and diseases is available on the Forestry Commission's Forest Research website http://www.forestresearch.gov.uk.

Household Rubbish

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under what legislation local authorities can require householders to separate household rubbish into different categories for collection; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Section 46 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 both empowers local authorities to specify the conditions of the waste collection service they provide and requires them to inform the recipients of those conditions by way of a section 46 notice. Section 46(4)(d) is the section which allows the local authority to require householders to place specific materials in particular receptacles (or compartments of receptacles) for collection.
	The degree of contamination has a big impact on the value of recyclates, even if the contamination is with other recyclates. It is for this reason that householders are often required to wash and separate their waste prior to collection.
	Under the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005, local authorities now also have the power to issue fixed penalty notices to those who fail to comply with section 46 notices.

Kyoto Protocol

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what recent discussions he has had on the UK's commitment to the next stage of the Kyoto protocol.

Ian Pearson: At the December 2005 meeting of the United Nations Conference of parties of the Kyoto Protocol, in Montreal, parties established a process to negotiate further commitments for Annex I countries (industrialised countries that have ratified the Protocol) after 2012. At the next session of this process in Nairobi, in November 2006, parties aim to make progress on these negotiations. However, individual commitments of countries will not be discussed until after the November session.
	The European Commission is currently working on a process to determine medium and long-term climate change goals, and will publish a Green Paper by the end of the year describing various scenarios for European Union (EU) action. Based on this, EU Member States will start the discussions on their individual commitments and the UK will be at the forefront of these.
	Commitments for the next stage of the Kyoto Protocol must be negotiated through the formal United Nations process.

Marine Environment

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many enforcement actions, including prosecutions and convictions, were taken in respect of the Department's powers over the marine environment.

Ben Bradshaw: holding answer 13 September 2006
	Data routinely collected by both the Environment Agency and the Home Office are categorised by statute offence and those involving the marine environment cannot be separately identified.

Modulation

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions he has had with the EU Farm Commissioner in extending voluntary modulation.

Barry Gardiner: The Secretary of State has discussed voluntary modulation with the EU Farm Commissioner on a number of occasions, including the July Agriculture Council meeting.

Motoring Offences

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many fixed penalty notices and court proceedings for aiding, abetting, causing or permitting noise offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 54-58 and 97-99, have been issued in each of the last five years in each local authority in England and Wales.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	Information on fixed penalty notices issued by the police and prosecution data taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the office for Criminal Justice Reform from 2000 to 2004 (latest available) is given in the table. These data are available at police force area level only.
	2005 data will be available early in 2007.
	
		
			  Number of police action Fixed Penalty Notices issued and total prosecutions for Noise Offences( 1)  under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 54-58 and 97-99 by police force area, England and Wales, 2000-04 
			  Number of notices and offences 
			   2000  2001  2002 
			  Police force area  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total prosecutions  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total prosecutions  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total prosecutions 
			 Avon and Somerset 36 195 44 149 27 115 
			 Bedfordshire 5 17 9 9 6 19 
			 Cambridgeshire 10 26 9 12 10 19 
			 Cheshire 5 21 10 24 16 7 
			 Cleveland 4 76 11 80 5 75 
			 Cumbria 4 41 6 50 7 15 
			 Derbyshire 18 128 13 129 9 130 
			 Devon and Cornwall 26 152 28 105 47 106 
			 Dorset 24 51 18 33 14 37 
			 Durham 20 172 25 118 24 155 
			 Essex 52 77 40 62 61 67 
			 Gloucestershire 13 84 24 73 14 49 
			 Greater Manchester 50 195 51 227 44 195 
			 Hampshire 14 272 21 251 22 200 
			 Hertfordshire 7 19 11 47 10 49 
			 Humberside 10 66 11 42 8 53 
			 Kent 34 249 24 180 36 152 
			 Lancashire 93 175 51 119 49 108 
			 Leicestershire 2 77 5 66 10 49 
			 Lincolnshire 9 240 14 158 5 77 
			 London, City of 1 8 4 7 1 10 
			 Merseyside 13 36 22 17 31 22 
			 Metropolitan Police 77 269 57 186 33 154 
			 Norfolk 25 115 23 119 29 101 
			 Northamptonshire 0 67 0 29 3 9 
			 Northumbria 48 193 93 112 72 137 
			 North Yorkshire 89 39 59 30 35 14 
			 Nottinghamshire 3 141 2 78 1 64 
			 South Yorkshire 9 150 21 137 11 95 
			 Staffordshire 10 (2)n/a 12 42 10 45 
			 Suffolk 24 107 20 86 22 75 
			 Surrey 0 96 9 91 49 86 
			 Sussex 13 68 17 76 32 81 
			 Thames Valley 42 87 58 58 28 33 
			 Warwickshire 4 65 5 72 3 26 
			 West Mercia 26 89 45 68 51 96 
			 West Midlands 19 146 23 102 7 99 
			 West Yorkshire 13 125 16 120 17 104 
			 Wiltshire 22 119 26 115 18 78 
			 Dyfed Powys 5 58 10 51 8 78 
			 Gwent 20 58 31 49 29 38 
			 North Wales 0 62 0 59 0 60 
			 South Wales 21 88 19 50 17 39 
			
			 England and Wales 920 4,616 997 3,688 931 3,221 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of notices and offences 
			   2003  2004 
			  Police force area  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total prosecutions  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total prosecutions 
			 Avon and Somerset 31 122 26 97 
			 Bedfordshire 4 16 6 3 
			 Cambridgeshire 10 14 22 10 
			 Cheshire 12 14 14 11 
			 Cleveland 11 27 23 9 
			 Cumbria 14 27 13 31 
			 Derbyshire 16 101 16 78 
			 Devon and Cornwall 35 83 56 78 
			 Dorset 15 18 10 12 
			 Durham 18 101 13 61 
			 Essex 20 38 35 28 
			 Gloucestershire 10 53 4 38 
			 Greater Manchester 34 238 52 98 
			 Hampshire 25 135 32 102 
			 Hertfordshire 7 55 14 45 
			 Humberside 12 50 5 25 
			 Kent 38 97 34 116 
			 Lancashire 85 100 81 37 
			 Leicestershire 11 63 3 50 
			 Lincolnshire 182 89 251 101 
			 London, City of 86 15 32 12 
			 Merseyside 8 20 17 15 
			 Metropolitan Police 65 140 83 142 
			 Norfolk 17 89 29 65 
			 Northamptonshire 4 49 0 34 
			 Northumbria 90 103 111 75 
			 North Yorkshire 91 19 252 18 
			 Nottinghamshire 5 35 7 21 
			 South Yorkshire 11 53 23 28 
			 Staffordshire 12 21 12 22 
			 Suffolk 10 83 18 121 
			 Surrey 35 37 33 40 
			 Sussex 14 22 15 12 
			 Thames Valley 39 47 90 27 
			 Warwickshire 12 14 9 15 
			 West Mercia 35 40 30 42 
			 West Midlands 21 91 23 67 
			 West Yorkshire 25 121 22 65 
			 Wiltshire 38 56 25 50 
			 Dyfed Powys 42 48 8 31 
			 Gwent 31 20 34 19 
			 North Wales 0 53 0 62 
			 South Wales 10 36 27 35 
			  
			 England and Wales 1,291 2,653 1,610 2,048 
			 n/a = Not available. (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting a crime is shown under the heading of the crime itself. (2) Estimates made for Staffordshire Police Force who were only able to submit data for a sample of weeks in 2000, have been included in totals only.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Natural England

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 13 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2259W, on Natural England, what the  (a) original and  (b) revised 2006-07 budget agreed for Natural England was; and what plans he has for the 2007-08 budget.

Barry Gardiner: Natural England inherited its budget for 2006-07 from English Nature, the Rural Development Service and parts of the Countryside Agency, which came together to create the new organisation. It is therefore not strictly possible to make the comparison the hon. Member is looking for.
	I cannot confirm Natural England's 2007-08 budget yet. In common with other non-departmental public bodies, they are preparing their corporate plan for discussion through the autumn.

Nuclear Waste

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much has been spent on research into means of nuclear waste disposal in the last 12 months.

Ian Pearson: The Department spent 91,097 on direct research projects into radioactive waste disposal in the last financial year.

Nuclear Waste

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs when he expects to respond to the recommendations of the Committee on Radioactive Waste; and which bodies he is consulting in preparing his response.

Ian Pearson: The UK Government and the devolved administrations are continuing to work together to develop policy in light of the recommendations from the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management (CoRWM). A full response will be made to the respective parliaments and the National Assembly for Wales when they are sitting after recess. CoRWM themselves undertook an extensive programme of engagement with the public and stakeholders in preparing their recommendations. Further information is available on their website at: http://www.corwm.org.uk

Recycling

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many local authorities in England do not provide doorstep recycling programmes.

Ben Bradshaw: Every English local authority with a standard waste collection authority responsibility operates a kerbside recycling scheme.
	Under the Household Waste Recycling Act 2003, all local authorities in England will be required to collect at least two types of recyclable waste from all households in their area by the end of 2010.

Recycling

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made towards achieving the 45 per cent. recycling target set for 2015.

Ben Bradshaw: Recycling continues to play an important role in diverting waste from landfill and recovering value from waste, in line with the Government's waste strategy objectives.
	Household waste recycling and composting has doubled in the last four years since the publication of Waste Strategy 2000 (and tripled in the last eight years). In 1999, less than 11 per cent. of household waste was recycled; this now stands at 23 per cent. (2004-5), putting us well on course to meet the waste strategy targets of 25 per cent. by 2005-06 and 33 per cent. by 2015.
	The recent consultation on the review of the waste strategy included proposals to raise the national targets for household waste recycling and composting to even more ambitious levels, to reach 45 per cent. by 2015 and 50 per cent. by 2020. The revised waste strategy is due to be published this winter.

Right to Roam

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what research his Department is undertaking into the environmental impact of a general right to roam on coastal areas, with particular reference to wetlands.

Barry Gardiner: English Nature has carried out a strategic review of the environmental impacts of pedestrian access on nature conservation interests, including wetlands, to ensure that each of the options under consideration for improving public access to the coast meets the tests set out in the Habitat Regulations 1994. Its advice will be included as part of Natural England's report to DEFRA.

Rural Payments Agency

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what consideration his Department is giving to issuing a set of maps containing all the land farmed as of 15 May 2006 to all farmers to enable them to cross reference their own records with those of the Rural Payments Agency.

Barry Gardiner: All farmers receive a set of maps when their land is registered with the Rural Payments Agency. In addition, when a boundary change is notified, a revised map for the land parcel in question is issued. If land transfers are notified to the Rural Payments Agency on a RLE1 form a revised set of maps showing the additional land is also supplied.
	There are currently no plans to issue a new set of maps to all farmers for land farmed as of 15 May 2006.

Rural Watercourses

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how much his Department has spent on the maintenance of rural watercourses in each of the last 10 years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2) what steps he is taking to ensure proper maintenance of rural watercourses; and if he will make a statement:
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the economic and social significance to rural communities of watercourses; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The primary responsibility for maintenance of all watercourses rests with the relevant riparian owner (a landowner with a frontage along a watercourse).
	In England, the Environment Agency (EA) is the principal flood risk management operating authority with permissive powers for the maintenance of watercourses designated as 'main river'. The EA has assumed responsibility for some 1,800 additional watercourse lengths transferred from other operating authorities over the last three years.
	DEFRA is providing 413 million in grant in aid this year to fund the EA's flood risk management activities, which includes capital improvement projects, maintenance and operation of existing infrastructure, and associated activities such as flood warning and public awareness campaigns. The EA will also spend 53.7 million received from local levy, Internal Drainage Board charges, General Drainage Charges and other income. This figure includes 8.7 million planned use of balances. The total funding for 2006-07 is 466.7 million. This is targeted according to flood risk, rather than whether a watercourse is in an urban or rural area.
	The EA uses the National Flood and Coastal Defence Database (NFCDD) to monitor the condition of assets, and reviews progress on a quarterly basis. A nationally consistent method of classifying asset condition has been shared with other operating authorities. These other operating authorities are required to use NFCDD to record details of the assets that they manage.
	Expenditure on the maintenance of watercourses is not held centrally and we could not seek to gather this information without incurring disproportionate cost. It is also the case that maintenance and capital works are not generally classified by rural or urban location and often the distinction will not be clear.
	Economic considerations are integral to the implementation of the Water Framework directive, for which the EA is the competent authority in England and Wales. This explicitly requires economic considerations and social issues to be considered and taken into account when setting water management objectives. The Collaborative Research Programme is developing methodologies for ensuring a balance between the environmental, social and economic concerns during river basin planning decisions which are part of the Framework.
	'Making Space for Water', our new cross-Government strategy for flood and coastal erosion risk management, presents an approach that embeds the three pillars of sustainable development, and extends our risk management tools by expanding our flood warning and flood awareness activities. The strategy encourages measures to improve resistance and resilience to flooding, including scoping work on the development and delivery of a pilot on direct aid to individuals. The document is available on the DEFRA website at: http://www.defra.gov.uk/environ/fcd/policy/strategv.htm.

Sea Fish Industry Authority

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many staff there were in the Sea Fish Industry Authority in each of the past five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table shows the number of staff employed by the Sea Fish Industry Authority as at 31 March in each of the past five years.
	
		
			   Number of staff 
			 2002 145 
			 2003 145 
			 2004 136 
			 2005 117 
			 2006 117

Sea Fish Industry Authority

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will make a statement on future projected staffing levels at the Sea Fish Industry Authority.

Ben Bradshaw: The Sea Fish Industry Authority has recently consulted on its strategic direction and has a restructuring programme in hand. This includes staffing changes (as mentioned in the Annual Report 2005-06 that was laid before Parliament on Wednesday 5 July 2006). The authority is in addition developing a costed forward work programme, on which it will formally consult. This will address issues such as future projected staffing levels.

Sewerage System (London)

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what representations he has received, and when, from the Mayor of London regarding investment to modernise London's sewerage system;
	(2)  when he expects to reach a decision regarding the proposed Tideway sewerage scheme;
	(3)  how much sewage has entered the River Thames via storm overflows in each month since 2003;
	(4)  what measures are in place to assess the amount of sewage entering the River Thames via storm overflows.

Ian Pearson: The Department has received two letters (15 November 2004 and 20 June 2006) from the Mayor of London which raised the issue of funding for the London sewerage system.
	I expect to decide on a scheme to limit pollution from some of the sewer overflows in early 2007. This will then be taken forward for planning and funding applications.
	The Department has already been involved in decisions to address the issue of storm overflows at three London sewage treatment works. As a result, several major schemes, involving substantial expenditure, are planned through Thames Water over the next eight years, to significantly increase the secondary treatment capacity of these works (Beckton, Crossness and Mogden). These schemes will reduce overflow discharges, thereby protecting the fish species and environment of the River Thames.
	It is estimated that the total annual overflow discharges from the sewers and the sewage treatment works are around 50 million cubic metres. It is calculated that 32 million cubic metres is discharged from the sewer overflows, and 20 million cubic metres from the sewage treatment works (Crossness and Mogden). As aforementioned, work is in hand to significantly reduce overflow discharges from these sewage treatment works.
	For the monthly calculated volumes of untreated sewage discharged to the Thames from the sewer overflows from January 2001 to October 2004, I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 15 December 2004,  Official Report, column 1112W. The calculated monthly volumes of untreated sewage discharged to the Thames Tideway from sewer overflows from 2004 to October 2006 are as follows. It is estimated that these volumes represent 60 per cent. of the total discharged from London's combined drainage system at these times.
	
		
			  Monthly discharges from storm water overflows to the estuarine Thames from 2004 to October 2006 
			  Cubic metres 
			   2004  2005  2006 
			 January 9,281,000 288,200 1,289,002 
			 February 3,240,000 300,024 2,252,695 
			 March 44,000 1,933,298 841,200 
			 April 3,665,000 1,203,959 497,881 
			 May 3,268,000 n/a 4,570,477 
			 June 3,047,000 1,453,368 1,780,518 
			 July 1,260,000 744,100 n/a 
			 August 4,945,000 1,669,002 1,688,862 
			 September 446,000 1,918,585 4,993,643 
			 October 4,290,000 4,227,192 815,329 
			 November 268,000 200,250 n/a 
			 December 4,437,960 2,581,888 n/a 
		
	
	For January to October 2004 the volumes in the table are as in the answer given on 15 December 2004,  Official Report, column 1112W. November 2004 in the table represents a more up-to-date figure than that given in the answer of 15 December 2004.
	Volumes are calculated from the pumping records of the five largest pumping stations during wet weather. The calculation is the duration of spill events multiplied by the pumping rate of each of the pumping stations.
	Overflow discharges from the sewers are calculated from wet weather pumping records of the five largest pumping stations, and an estimate of the wet weather discharges from the other overflows. Flow monitoring at the sewage treatment works provide measurements of their overflow discharges.

Sewerage System (London)

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment his Department has made of the public health risk posed by sewage entering the River Thames;
	(2)  what recent estimates his Department has made of the number of fish killed by sewage entering the River Thames; and what assessment the Department has made of the broader environmental impact of such sewage.

Ian Pearson: Public health risk, fish kills and the broader environmental impacts of overflow discharges of sewage entering the Thames have been assessed by the Environment Agency in the development of the objectives for the Thames Tideway Strategic Study. The Steering Group Report, published in February 2005, provides the information and is available from the Thames Tideway Strategic Study website at www.thamestidewaystrategicstudy.co.uk
	The Environment Agency continues to consider and assess these issues as part of the options assessment work, led by Thames Water, that I announced on 27 July 2006.

Special Protection Areas

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 on special protection areas.

Barry Gardiner: A number of reports have been commissioned by English Nature to look at the ways in which increased access and disturbance may have affected sensitive species of breeding birds within special protection areas. The cumulative effect of these reports is to show that the impacts from increased access and recreational activities vary between species, habitats and areas. It was also recognised that it is still too early to be able to quantify these impacts on habitats.
	Although there are concerns about the recreational impacts on breeding and wintering bird populations, it is not yet known whether the access provisions within the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 have led to, or will cause, adverse affects on special protection areas. Further research and monitoring is required to provide a clear assessment of the overall effect of the increased level of access and disturbance in special protection areas which were previously considered not to be at risk.

Special Protection Areas

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the  (a) district and  (b) unitary councils are in each special protection area in England.

Barry Gardiner: The information requested is set out in the tables placed in the Library, and is correct as of 22 September 2006.

Sugar Beet

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will estimate  (a) the average amount of compensation under the farm payments scheme which will be paid to farmers who cease growing sugar beet and  (b) the number of farmers he expects to stop growing sugar beet in (i) 2007, (ii) 2008 and (iii) 2009.

Barry Gardiner: The reform of the EU sugar regime is designed to favour efficiency and allow sugar growers and processors to take their own commercial decisions. The UK has one of the more efficient sugar industries in the EU. The Government, therefore, expect some redistribution of sugar production within the UK over the next three years, but little net change.
	On 22 September, my noble Friend the Minister for Sustainable Farming and Food announced the detail of how almost 500 million of additional support arising from the sugar reform will be incorporated within the English model of the single payment scheme (SPS) over the next seven years. In particular, he confirmed that special arrangements will apply so that, among other things, all the support available in 2006 will be added to the value of entitlements held by UK growers on the basis of their contracted tonnage for quota sugar, for the 2005-06 marketing year. Individual business decisions will determine whether those concerned retain their entitlements or grow sugar beet in subsequent years. It is not, therefore, possible to make meaningful estimates of the sort the hon. Member asks about.

Timber

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to which forest timber transport infrastructure project which  (a) has received and  (b) has been approved to receive financial assistance from funds set up by the Government relates; what type of project each is; and how much funding each project has received or been approved to receive.

Barry Gardiner: There is no scheme for funding timber transport infrastructure projects in England. Forestry and rural affairs are devolved and any financial assistance for projects of this type in Scotland would be the responsibility of the devolved Administration.

Timber

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  how many cases of illegal tree felling Forest Enterprise has passed to the prosecuting authorities in each of the last five years, broken down by forestry district;
	(2)  how many cases of illegal tree felling have been prosecuted by the prosecuting authorities in each of the last five years, broken down by forestry district and what sentence was imposed in each case in which all proceedings are complete.

Barry Gardiner: Forestry is a devolved matter and prosecution for illegal tree felling in Scotland and Wales is a matter for the respective Administrations. In England the Forestry Commission investigates reports of illegal tree felling and the decision to prosecute is made by the Commission.
	The number of investigations, prosecutions, sentences imposed and Restocking Notices issues over the last five years by Conservancy (region) are set out in the following table. These are recorded against the year in which investigation commenced, although prosecution may have occurred in the following year.
	
		
			  2005-06 
			  Conservancy  Number  Sentence where prosecuted  Restocking notice issued 
			  East of England
			 Investigations 5   
			 Prosecutions 3 1) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			   2) 2,500 Fine Yes 
			   3) Conditional Discharge Pending 
			  East Midlands
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 1,600 Fine Pending 
			 
			  North East
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  North West
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 1,200 Fine Yes 
			 
			  South East
			 Investigations 15   
			 Prosecutions 7 1) 1,800 Fine Yes 
			   2) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			   3) 1,200 Fine Pending 
			   4) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			   5) Pending Court Hearing  
			   6) Pending Court Hearing  
			   7) Pending Court Hearing  
			 
			  South West
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecution 1 1) Pending Court Hearing  
			 
			  West Midlands
			 Investigations 8   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  Yorkshire and Humber
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecutions 0   
		
	
	
		
			  2004-05 
			  Conservancy  Number  Sentence where prosecuted  Restocking notice issued 
			  East of England
			 Investigations 4   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 800 Fine Yes 
			 
			  East Midlands
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 2,250 Fine Yes 
			 
			  North East
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  North West
			 Investigations 5   
			 Prosecutions 4 1) 2,000 Fine No 
			   2) 1,000 Fine Yes 
			   3) 750 Fine Yes 
			   4) 1,000 Fine Yes 
			 
			  South East
			 Investigations 11   
			 Prosecutions 3 1) 1,000 Fine Yes 
			   2) 1,600 Fine Yes 
			   3) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			 
			  South West
			 Investigations 3   
			 Prosecution 0   
			 
			  West Midlands
			 Investigations 3   
			 Prosecutions 1 1) 4,000 Fine Yes 
			 
			  Yorkshire and Humber
			 Investigations 3   
			 Prosecutions 1 1) 200 Fine Yes 
		
	
	
		
			  2003-04 
			  Conservancy  Number  Sentence where prosecuted  Restocking notice issued 
			  East of England
			 Investigations 7   
			 Prosecutions 2 1) 500 Fine Yes 
			   2) 2,500 Fine Yes 
			 
			  East Midlands
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  North East
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  North West
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 300 Fine Yes 
			 
			  South East
			 Investigations 16   
			 Prosecutions 2 1) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			   2) Case Withdrawn No 
			 
			  South West
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 500 Fine Yes 
			 
			  West Midlands
			 Investigations 7   
			 Prosecutions 2 1) 500 Fine No 
			   2) 2,000 Fine Yes 
			  Yorkshire and Humber
			 Investigations 3   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 1,800 Fine Yes 
		
	
	
		
			  2002-03 
			  Conservancy  Number   Sentence where prosecuted  Restocking notice issued 
			  East of England
			 Investigations 2 1) 1,000 Fine Yes 
			 Prosecutions 2 2) 500 Fine Yes 
			 
			  East Midlands
			 Investigations 3   
			 Prosecutions 2 1 ) Absolute Discharge No 
			   2) 750 Fine Yes 
			 
			  North East
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 2,000 Fine Yes 
			 
			  North West
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecutions 2 1) 300 Fine Yes 
			   2) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			 
			  South East
			 Investigations 8   
			 Prosecutions 3 1) 750 Fine Yes 
			   2) 2,500 Fine Yes 
			   3) 300 Fine Yes 
			 
			  South West
			 Investigations 5   
			 Prosecutions 3 1) 300 Fine No 
			   2) 1,200 Fine Yes 
			   3) 1,250 Fine Yes 
			 
			  West Midlands
			 Investigations 4   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  Yorkshire and Humber
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecutions 0   
		
	
	
		
			  2001-02 
			  Conservancy  Number  Sentence where prosecuted  Restocking notice issued 
			  East of England
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			  East Midlands
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  North East
			 Investigations 0   
			 Prosecutions 0   
			 
			  North West
			 Investigations 2   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 2,000 Fine Yes 
			 
			  South East
			 Investigations 9   
			 Prosecutions 3 1) 1,300 Fine Yes 
			   2) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			   3) 1,800 Fine No 
			 
			  South West
			 Investigations 4   
			 Prosecutions 2 1 ) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			   2) Conditional Discharge Yes 
			 
			  West Midlands
			 Investigations 6   
			 Prosecutions 2 1) 200 Fine Yes 
			   2) 2,500 Fine Yes 
			 
			  Yorkshire and Humber
			 Investigation 1   
			 Prosecution 1 1) 1,600 Fine Yes 
			  Note:  An investigation takes place where tree felling has been reported on a site where no valid permission has been issued. This investigation is to ascertain whether an offence may have been committed. A high number of these investigations conclude that either no offence has been committed or there is insufficient evidence to warrant a criminal prosecution.

Tumble Dryers

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will provide installation grants to promote the use of gas-powered domestic tumble dryers.

Ian Pearson: Support for energy efficiency in households is available through a number of routes. Details of grants and offers for energy efficiency measures in a particular area are available, by postcode, on the website of the Energy Saving Trust (EST) at: www.est.org.uk/myhome/efficientproducts/. The EST is funded by my Department to promote and support energy efficiency in the household sector.
	The EST also runs a network of Energy Efficiency Advice Centres, which provide advice to consumers to help them to assess their energy use and refer them to any available grants. These include offers by energy suppliers, who are required to meet targets under the Energy Efficiency Commitment for the promotion of improvements in household energy efficiency, and grants from local authorities for local residents to install energy efficiency measures in their home.

Tumble Dryers

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of the carbon emissions of  (a) electrically-powered domestic tumble dryers and  (b) gas-powered domestic tumble dryers.

Ian Pearson: The Government's Market Transformation Programme estimates that, on average, an electrically-powered domestic tumble dryer emits 277 grams of carbon each time it is used, and a gas-powered domestic tumble dryer emits 140 grams of carbon each time it is used.

Veterinary Practices

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs pursuant to the answer of 12 July 2006 to the hon. Member for Stroud,  Official Report, column 1858W, on veterinary practices, what assessment he has made of the link between client farm incomes and the success of large animal practices.

Ben Bradshaw: DEFRA has not carried out an assessment of the link between the level of farm incomes and the success of large animal practices. There are a wide range of other factors that are driving change within the veterinary profession. Rather than focusing on one single issue, we are working closely with the British Veterinary Association and the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons to gain a more strategic view of the problems facing farm animal practice.

Water Supplies

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many tap water supplies in England were contaminated with agricultural supplies in each since 2000.

Ian Pearson: Since 2001, there have been 21 notifications to the Drinking Water Inspectorate (DWI) of public tap water supplies being contaminated by cross-connection, or back-siphonage in England and Wales.
	For the 14 notifications where details are available, none was caused by contamination by agricultural water supplies. For the remaining seven notifications, and any notifications for the year 2000, DEFRA does not hold the information and it would not be possible to ascertain the cause without incurring disproportionate cost. These figures are for England and Wales combined and relate to public supplies.
	It should be recognised that the DWI regulates public water supplies. Many agricultural properties are supplied by private water supplies, such as boreholes, which are regulated by local authorities. Local authorities would hold records of any cross- contamination events related to private water supplies.

Wildlife Crime

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many offences under Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981  (a) were reported to the prosecuting authorities,  (b) were prosecuted and  (c) resulted in convictions in each of the last five years.

Barry Gardiner: DEFRA does not keep a record of the number of offences committed under Part 1 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Depending on the offence, any actions which may result in a prosecution are passed to the local police force, local authority, or non-government bodies such as the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals or Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, for them to investigate in their role as investigating authorities.

TRANSPORT

A10

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to improve the A10 between Tottenham and the M25; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: None. The A10 between Tottenham and the M25 now forms part of the Transport for London Road Network (TLRN). Therefore, any improvement schemes for that stretch of road are a matter for the Mayor and Transport for London. Further information concerning this road may be obtained from:
	Director of Street Management
	Transport for London
	Windsor House
	42-50 Victoria Street
	London SW1H 0TL

A2

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) minor and  (b) serious accidents occurred on the A2 in Bexley Borough in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of  (a) slight and  (b) serious personal injury road accidents reported to the police that occurred on the A2 in Bexley borough in (i) 2004 and (ii) 2005 is given in the table.
	
		
			  Accidents by severity on A2 in Bexley borough: 2004-05 
			  Severity  2004  2005 
			 Serious 2 7 
			 Slight 24 32 
			  Source:  TfL London Road Safety Unit.

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans the Highways Agency has to hold a public consultation on the proposed A21 upgrade between Flimwell and Robertsbridge; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: A public consultation was held from November 2002 to March 2003 on proposals to upgrade the A21 between Tonbridge to Pembury, Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst and Flimwell to Robertsbridge.

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much the Highways Agency spent on public consultations on the proposed A21 upgrade in 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Highways Agency's costs on public consultations for the proposed A21 upgrade in 2005 was nil. Public consultation on this scheme was in previous years.

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what role the Highways Agency has in issuing draft orders for the proposed A21 upgrade; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: We announced our response to the advice from the south east region about its major scheme priorities to 2011 on 6 July. As part of this, we have accepted the region's advice to include the A21 Tonbridge Bypass to Pembury Dualling, the A21 Kippings Cross to Lamberhurst Bypass and the A21 Baldslow Junction Improvement within the programme of schemes that we expect to be taken forward in the south east in the next five years, subject to the completion of all the statutory procedures, available funding and compliance with the Department's scheme appraisal requirements.
	The Highways Agency will publish draft Orders on behalf of the Secretary of State in accordance with the individual scheme programmes.

A21

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many public complaints the Highways Agency has received regarding compulsory purchase orders along the route of the proposed A21 upgrade.

Stephen Ladyman: No Compulsory Purchase Orders have been published for the route of the proposed A21 upgrade.

A3

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he expects to make his final decision regarding the A3 tunnel improvement scheme.

Stephen Ladyman: The responses to the public consultation on the cost increase of the published scheme and its change in economic benefits, referred to in the interim letter of 20 July 2006, are currently being considered. A final decision will be issued as soon as possible.

A303

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements have been made to facilities for users of the A303 in each of the last five years for which records are available.

Stephen Ladyman: Interpreting facilities to mean rest areas, there have been improvements to three picnic sites listed:
	 Cartgate near Martock:
	2005-06: Improvements made to disabled access. New tables with hard standings for wheelchairs were installed and parking bays were improved.
	2004-05: Courtyard was extended and cafe facilities were updated.
	2002-03: A Tourist Centre was built by a partnership of the Highways Agency and South Somerset District Council.
	2001-02: Toilets were cosmetically refurbished.
	 Devonshire House, near the A30 junction:
	2003-04: Public conveniences were permanently removed due to vandalism and to deter regularly reported incidents of antisocial behaviour.
	 Willoughby Hedge, north of Shaftesbury:
	2005-06: New public conveniences were installed.

A303

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what improvements are planned to facilities for users of the A303.

Stephen Ladyman: Interpreting facilities to mean rest areas, proposals are in place to improve the Buck Services at Longparish on the eastbound carriageway of the A303, east of Andover. Access improvements from the A303 are planned and will be funded by the developer.

A36

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he will announce his proposals for the relief of congestion on the A36(T) between College Roundabout in Salisbury and the start of the A36(T) dual carriageway at Petersfinger; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State has no proposals for the A36 at this location.
	Officials in the Highways Agency have recently been consulted by Salisbury district council about a planning application submitted by Wiltshire county council for a park and ride site at Petersfinger which is designed to relieve congestion on this section of the A36.
	In July officials notified Salisbury district council that they were satisfied the park and ride scheme could be implemented without compromising safety on the A36 road thereby opening the way for the planning application to be decided.
	The timing of any consent and subsequent construction of the park and ride site is now a matter for Salisbury district and Wiltshire county councils respectively. Wiltshire will also need to reach agreement with the Highways Agency about funding for the works to be carried out on the A36 required to implement any consent.

A36

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what date in 1997 the announcement was made, that the A36(T) Salisbury Bypass would not be proceeded with; and by whom.

Stephen Ladyman: The announcement was made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Edinburgh, East (Dr. Strang), the then Minister of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions, on 28 July 1997,  Official Report, columns 34-35.

A36

Robert Key: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the recent decision not to proceed with the Wylye Valley Relief Road, the Salisbury Brunel Link Road and the Harnham Relief Road, if he will review the need for the proposed A36(T) Salisbury Bypass; what criteria he will apply to future decisions about roads in the Salisbury area; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State has no plans to review the need for the A36(T) Salisbury Bypass.
	The A36 is part of the non core network and caters more for regional and local needs. It is in the process of being de-trunked (i.e. management transferred to the local highway authorities). Until it has been detrunked, the Highways Agency retains responsibility for its maintenance and any safety improvements to it. Any other improvements in the Salisbury area would need to be promoted by Wiltshire county council.
	If Wiltshire county council decided to promote such a scheme, the South West region would need to determine its position within their priorities for major transport infrastructure within a specified regional funding allocation (RFA). The Secretary of State would then consider the advice in light of available funding.

Departmental Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Gillian Merron: The Department has call-off contracts with Adecco, Brook Street and Reed, who are contracted to provide temporary staff when required. This contract is also used by some of the Department's executive agencies. The following tables show the average hourly rates (across pay bands) for each agency. The information held is from 2002 onwards and hourly rates for each pay band are agreed with the agencies as part of their contract with the Department.
	
		
			   London Rates 
			   Adecco  Brook Street  Reed 
			 2002 12.45 11.92 13.17 
			 2003 12.79 12.32 13.62 
			 2004 13.06 12.53 13.91 
			 2005 13.61 13.10 14.50 
			 2006 14.27 13.28 14.49 
		
	
	
		
			   Regional Rates 
			   Adecco  Brook Street  Reed 
			 2002 12.24 9.89 10.07 
			 2003 12.24 10.25 10.40 
			 2004 12.49 10.48 10.63 
			 2005 13.02 10.93 11.06 
			 2006 Not available Not available Not available 
		
	
	In addition some of the Department's executive agencies also use other agencies to provide temporary staff. Details of these are as follows:
	Highways Agency13.19
	
		
			   GCDA () 
			 2001-02 9.39 
			 2002-03 10.31 
			 2003-04 10.38 
			 2004-05 11.32 
			 2005-06 11.00 
		
	
	The use of temporary staff is something that the Department only considers to cover a short-term temporary period such as covering leave or while a permanent resource is found. The Department actively manages its headcount and will consider any displaced staff for temporary roles prior to obtaining a temporary agency worker.

Aircraft Noise

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans his Department has to introduce legislation to allow airport operators to fine aircraft operators who deviate from preferred noise route corridors.

Gillian Merron: Clauses 3 and 4 of the Civil Aviation Bill currently before Parliament will have this effect. A detailed explanation of the provisions is available in the Explanatory Notes to the Bill available in the Library of the House or on the internet at:
	http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld200506/ldbills/021/en/06021x--.htm.

Airships

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the possibility of the commercial use of airships for the movement of  (a) freight and  (b) passengers in the United Kingdom.

Gillian Merron: No studies have been undertaken in this area, but there are no specific restrictions on such operations. Any proposals by commercial companies would be considered under the normal licensing requirements of the Air Navigation Order and European Licensing Regulations.

BAe 146

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 12 June 2006,  Official Report, column 962W, on BAe 146 aircraft, what parts of the BAe 146  (a) engine and  (b) auxiliary power unit were (i) designed and manufactured by sub-contractors and (ii) contain beryllium in any quantity.

Gillian Merron: Neither the Department for Transport nor the CAA hold this information. The BAe 146 engine and auxiliary power unit were manufactured in the United States and are US Type Certificated products. The Federal Aviation Authority may be able to assist.

Blue Badges

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many disabled persons' blue badges have been issued in each local authority in 2006.

Gillian Merron: Information on the number of blue badges issued by individual local authorities in 2006 will be published on the DfT website on 19 October and I will write to the hon. Member with the data. Copies will also be placed in the Library of the House.

Blue Badges

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many disabled persons' blue badges were issued in each local authority in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2005.

Gillian Merron: Information about the number of successful new blue badge applications in the periods 2003-04 and 2004-05 will be placed in the House Library.
	The Department for Transport has published information about the number of blue badges on issue by each local authority in England on its website for the periods to the end of March 2004 and to the end of March 2005. This information is already available in the House Library. Data on the number of blue badges on issue by each local authority to 31 March 2006 are due to be published on 19 October.

Bomb Hoaxes

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has had with the Home Office on the guidance given to police on whether they should seek to secure charges against individuals who are responsible for bomb hoaxes on railways or urban mass transit systems.

Stephen Ladyman: The Secretary of State has regular meetings with the Home Secretary to discuss, among other things, transport security matters. However, operational matters including the prosecution of individuals responsible for bomb hoaxes are a matter for the relevant chief constable.

British Transport Police

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what has been the total number of British Transport Police in each year since 1997.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport Police who can be contacted at: British Transport Police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, email:general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

British Transport Police

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many anti social behaviour orders have been granted on the application of the British Transport police in each of the last three years, broken down by region.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. This information is held by the force, who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Bus Passes

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many pensioner bus passes have been issued in  (a) Gravesham and  (b) Kent under the scheme to give all pensioners free off-peak travel.

Gillian Merron: This information is not held centrally, I would refer the hon. Member to the relevant local authorities who will be able to assist.

Cabin Baggage

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he intends to lift the ban on  (a) valuable and  (b) bulky musical instruments being carried in-cabin by musicians.

Gillian Merron: The enhanced security measures at UK airports were adjusted from 22 September. Passengers are now permitted to take a large musical instrument into the cabin of an aircraft, in addition to their one item of hand luggage, which is subject to separate x-ray screening.

Cabin Baggage

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will take steps to enable professional musicians to travel by air with their instruments in the cabin.

Gillian Merron: The enhanced security measures at UK airports were adjusted from 22 September. Passengers are now permitted to take a large musical instrument into the cabin of an aircraft, in addition to their one item of hand luggage, which is subject to separate x-ray screening.

Car Tax

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many car licences were lost or stolen through the Royal Mail postage system in 2005-06.

Stephen Ladyman: Information is not available on car licences (i.e. vehicle excise duty discs) which are stolen in the post. Of the 4,087,784 car licences sent by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, 37,312 were reported as undelivered between 1 January 2005 and 2 October 2006.

Channel Tunnel

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive concerning steps to secure continued access to the channel tunnel for Scottish exporters and importers;
	(2)  what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive in respect of a new charging regime for freight trains using the channel tunnel from 1 December.

Tom Harris: The Department has discussed these issues with officials from the Scottish Executive. We have a joint desire to see freight companies continuing to access the channel tunnel at a commercially viable rate.

Channel Tunnel

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what information he has received from EWS regarding the role of the channel tunnel in transporting freight to and from Scotland.

Tom Harris: We have received a number of representations from EWS about the future of channel tunnel freight. None has been specifically concerned with freight travelling to or from Scotland.

Coaches

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the maximum permitted number of seats is on a coach configured for adult use.

Stephen Ladyman: The law does not specify a maximum number of seats, although seat numbers are constrained indirectly by regulations limiting vehicle weight and external dimensions, and specifying minimum requirements for seats and their spacing.
	Typically, a 12-metre single deck, two-axle coach would carry around 50 seated passengers.

Congestion Charge

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much was spent on paying the congestion charge for official car travel by him in 2005-06.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government Car Service (GCS) provides the Secretary of State for Transport with his official car and driver. During 2005-06 GCS incurred 1,655 in congestion charges for this service.

Cwmbran Driving Test Centre

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the future of the Cwmbran Driving Test centre.

Stephen Ladyman: The delivery of driving tests in Cwmbran will be transferred to a new multi-purpose test centre (MPTC) planned for Newport, eight miles away. The start of operations at Newport MPTC is planned for later in 2006.
	No date has yet been agreed for the cessation of testing at Cwmbran. The Driving Standards Agency (DSA) will endeavour to give maximum notice to interested parties before driving tests in the area are transferred to Newport.

Cycling

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Gillian Merron: The Department is in the process of letting two contracts which will give its employees access to cycles and associated equipment from a number of suppliers through a tax-efficient scheme. The scheme covers specialist equipment for staff with disabilities. A scheme was not in operation within the Department during 2005-06.

Cycling

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the length in miles of cycle lanes in each London borough was in each year since 1997.

Gillian Merron: The Department does not collect borough-level data on the length of cycle lanes in London. Transport for London (TfL) is now the body responsible for providing capital funding to London boroughs for cycle lanes and other local transport initiatives. Further information concerning cycle routes may be obtained from:
	Director of Street Management
	Transport for London
	Windsor House
	42-50 Victoria Street
	London
	SW1H 0TL

Departmental Drivers

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many drivers have been employed by his Department in each year since 1997; and what the total wage bill was for drivers in each year.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency is responsible for providing a range of transport and mail distribution services to Government and the wider public sector.
	The numbers of drivers and wages for each year since 2000-01 is as follows:
	
		
			   Cost (000)  Number of drivers 
			 2005-06 7,305 210 
			 2004-05 6,712 208 
			 2003-04 6,916 211 
			 2002-03 6,581 209 
			 2001-02 6,090 198 
			 2000-01 5,494 192 
		
	
	Information for earlier years can only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Gillian Merron: The information requested could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Driving Licences

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether it is the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency's policy to send photo card driving licences in plain brown envelopes to avoid fraud.

Stephen Ladyman: Yes.

Driving Licences

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what evidence forms the basis of the information necessary to establish identity for the purposes of obtaining a driving licence for  (a) UK nationals,  (b) non-UK nationals resident in the UK and  (c) those still subject to immigration control; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: All applicants for a driving licence, irrespective of nationality, are required to meet the conditions specified in section 97 of the Road Traffic Act 1988, in order for the Secretary of State to grant a licence.
	Section 97(1)(b) of the Act requires an applicant to provide the Secretary of State with such evidence or further evidence in support of the application as the Secretary of State may require.
	Details of acceptable identity documents and photograph criteria can be found on www.direct.gov.gov.uk/motoring.

Driving Licences

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what progress the Government have made in securing amendments to the Third European Directive on Driver Licences as it applies to the staged access by age to the use of motor cycles.

Stephen Ladyman: The Council of the European Union adopted its common position on the proposed Directive on driving licences on 18 September 2006. The United Kingdom abstained from the vote on the common position, as it did from the vote on political agreement in March 2006 and for the same reasons.
	At the time of the political agreement, the UK requested a minutes statement as follows in order to record the reasons for its abstention:
	The UK abstains. It continues to believe that the measures proposed for staged access to motorcycles for younger riders are too complex and too rigid, and that they are likely to achieve little if any improvement in road safety. The UK therefore has proposed amendments to reduce the complexity and increase the flexibility of these measures at key points. It expresses disappointment that the Council has found it impossible to reach agreement on such amendments.

Driving Standards Agency

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect of industrial action in the Driving Standards Agency.

Stephen Ladyman: DSA staff have been involved in industrial action since 17 July 2006.
	There have been two one-day strikes. On 17 July, 906 members of staff took action. This represents about 33 per cent. of the workforce of 2,750 and resulted in around 40 per cent. of the day's tests being lost. On 4 September, support for the strike was reduced and only 601 staff (22 per cent. of the workforce) took action which resulted in about 33 per cent. of tests being lost.
	The industrial action has also included a work to rule since 17 July. This has led to some tests being cancelled at short notice.

Driving Standards Agency

Gwyneth Dunwoody: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make a statement on the restructuring of Driving Standards Agency offices; how many private examiner posts are expected to be lost as a result of the restructuring; what the location will be of the job losses; and what the aims and objectives are of the Driving Safety Forward programme.

Stephen Ladyman: There will be no loss of driving examiner posts as part of the restructuring of the Driving Standards Agency (DSA). The aim of the Driving Safety Forward programme is for DSA to have a more proactive and broader role in improving driver safety in support of the wider road safety agenda in order to:
	lead the development and delivery of effective driving standards and testing regimes;
	be recognised as a leading authority on the development of driver safety services and driver education;
	co-ordinate the results of driver safety research currently undertaken in a wide number of places across government and industry.

Driving Standards Agency

James Duddridge: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many driving tests were conducted by the Driving Standards Agency in each of the last 24 months.

Stephen Ladyman: The table shows driving licence acquisition tests conducted nationally during the period September 2004 to August 2006. The data includes practical and theory tests for car, motorcycle, bus and lorry driving tests.
	
		
			   Practical test  Theory test 
			 September 2004 166,477 88,200 
			 October 2004 169,366 123,247 
			 November 2004 183,407 117,546 
			 December 2004 153,553 91,490 
			 January 2005 169,574 87,633 
			 February 2005 157,761 112,470 
			 March 2005 161,544 130,698 
			 April 2005 184,081 128,258 
			 May 2005 169,641 118,961 
			 June 2005 183,896 126,857 
			 July 2005 175,437 121,578 
			 August 2005 167,773 134,733 
			 September 2005 176,355 128,185 
			 October 2005 172,555 115,489 
			 November 2005 181,706 118,368 
			 December 2005 149,389 88,678 
			 January 2006 178,675 90,013 
			 February 2006 171,057 107,450 
			 March 2006 198,184 127,378 
			 April 2006 151,943 120,939 
			 May 2006 180,421 118,401 
			 June 2006 185,221 119,349 
			 July 2006 170,571 115,456 
			 August 2006 165,045 130,501

East London Line

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what discussions he has held with Transport for London on the proposed East London line extension; whether a possible route to Finsbury Park has been raised; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: The Secretary of State has held no discussions recently with Transport for London (TfL) on the East London line extension. The delivery and route of the East London line extension are matters for TfL.

Flight Statistics

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) long haul and  (b) short haul commercial flights took off from UK airports in each of the last five years.

Gillian Merron: The number of flights that took off from UK airports in each of the last five years are as follows:
	
		
			  Commercial flights from UK airports 
			  Thousand 
			   Short haul( 1)  Long haul( 2) 
			 2001 942 100 
			 2002 940 99 
			 2003 967 101 
			 2004 1,015 113 
			 2005 1,068 123 
			 (1) Short haul includes flights within UK (domestic), to oil rigs and to Europe (includes EU-25, Norway, Switzerland, Gibraltar, Turkey and Former Yugoslavia). (2) Long haul includes flights to all countries outside of Europe.  Source:  Civil Aviation Authority

Flooding

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment his Department has made of the adequacy of existing coastal flood defences to cope with the effect of rising sea levels on the UK's rail network since 2004.

Tom Harris: These are operational matters for Network Rail, as the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member should contact Network Rail's Chief Executive at the following address for a response to his question.
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE

Government Cars

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many Government cars use biofuels.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government Car and Despatch Agency (GCDA) fleet currently comprises of 41 cars and 18 light commercial vans capable of running on 5 per cent. biodiesel blend. GCDA has its own refuelling station at its London premises and all its drivers are required to refuel there whenever possible.
	GCDA operates over 200 vehicles and it is targeted with reducing the environmental impact of its operations by reducing tailpipe emissions by 5 per cent. and to increase the use of alternative engine fuel technology by 10 per cent. compared with 2005-06. It is doing this by investing heavily in petrol/electric hybrid cars and replacing unleaded petrol powered cars with diesel powered cars. Its van fleet has always used diesel powered vans but in recent years has introduced a fleet of liquefied petroleum gas powered vans that operate in London and has also experimented with small electric vans.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what input  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report, Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement.

Gillian Merron: I refer the hon. Member to the answer provided by the Chief Secretary to the Treasury today, 9 October (UIN 89473),  Official Report, column 280W.

Haulage Industry

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to secure the enforcement of the EU working time directive in the haulage industry in those EU countries which have yet to adopt the measure; whether the directive is applied to all lorries operating in the UK regardless of national origin; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The European Commission is responsible for ensuring that each member state implements the European road transport working time directive 2002/15/EC. The Commission is currently pursuing infraction proceedings against those member states that have failed to notify full transposition of the directive.
	The UK's implementing regulations apply to any mobile worker operating in the UK provided they are employed by a haulier established in a member state of the European Union.

Highways Agency

Philip Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to give Highways Agency traffic officers certain police powers; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: There are no plans to give Highways Agency traffic officers any further powers beyond those already conveyed to them under Part 1 of the Traffic Management Act 2004 and those being developed in connection with the removal and disposal of vehicles.
	It is envisaged that traffic officers may have similar powers to those which the police have under the Removal and Disposal of Vehicles Regulations 1986, and sections 99 to 102 of the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984. This will enable traffic officers to remove vehicles that are causing an obstruction or danger, supporting traffic officers in helping to keep traffic moving and freeing up police time.

Landslide (Boston Manor)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what action he has taken following the landslide near Boston Manor railway station in West London in July; what conclusions he has reached as to the cause of the landslide; what assessment he has made of whether there are sufficient safety precautions in place to prevent a further such landslide occurring on or near the UK rail system; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Merron: Boston Manor railway station is on the Underground's Piccadilly line. Landslides are an operational matter for London Underground Ltd. and the right hon. Member should contact their managing director for further information at the following address:
	Tim O'Toole
	Managing Director
	London Underground Ltd.
	55 Broadway
	London
	SW1H 0BD
	Landslides on the national rail network are an operational matter for Network Rail. The right hon. Member should contact their chief executive at the following address for further information:
	John Armitt CBE
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE

M1

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has to relieve congestion on the M1.

Stephen Ladyman: Measures are already being taken to relieve congestion on the M1 south of Milton Keynes where work to widen the motorway to four lanes is underway between Junction 6A (M25) and Junction 10 (Luton). This widening is due for completion in late 2008.
	There are plans to widen the M1 from Junction 10 to 13, with construction scheduled to start in late 2008 and to complete in 2011. The M1 Junctions 10 to 13 Widening aims are:
	To provide an additional lane of traffic in both directions on the M1 to relieve present congestion and to accommodate predicted future flows.
	To improve the existing junctions to match the increased capacity of the motorway.

M42

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the timetable is for commencing and completing the extension to the M42 toll road.

Stephen Ladyman: I assume the hon. Member is referring to the M54 to M6/M6 toll link road as the M42 is not a toll road and the M6 toll road is not being extended.
	Currently, the feasibility of options is being considered to support the case for the link road scheme to enter the Targeted Programme of Improvements. The new M54 to M6/M6 toll link road should open to traffic around 2012 (subject to the usual statutory processes), helping to free up current bottlenecks and to improve road travel through the region.

Melbourne Marine Services

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what account was taken of Melbourne Marine Services' safety record in assessing its application for permission to conduct ship-to-ship oil transfers in the Firth of Forth.

Stephen Ladyman: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) has the function of assessing whether the submitted oil spill contingency plan covering ship-to-ship transfers in the Firth of Forth and the amendments to the overarching Clearwater Forth contingency plan would adversely affect the integrity of designated nature conservation sites in the Firth of Forth. In doing so, the MCA took into account the global safety record of ship-to-ship transfers. This included the detailed risk assessments which formed part of the package for the consultation carried out by the MCA.
	These documents can be located on the MCA website:
	http://www.mcga.gov.uk/c4mca/mcqa-guidance-regulation/mcqa-consultations/mcqa-consultations-archive/archived consultations 2006/mcqa-consultations-sts forth.htm

Merchant Vessels

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps he is taking to ensure that wrecks of merchant vessels lost during hostilities are protected.

Stephen Ladyman: With the exception of the limited power available under the Merchant Shipping and Maritime Security Act 1997, there is no specific legislation for the protection of merchant vessels lost during hostilities, and as such, the Secretary of State for Transport has no legislative powers to protect these vessels. Section 24 of the 1997 Act enables the Secretary of State to make an order relating to the protection of wrecks outside UK waters for the purpose of giving effect to an international agreement.
	The Protection of Military Remains Act 1986 deals with military remains of both aircraft and ships and is administered by the Ministry of Defence. All military aircraft are automatically designated under this legislation. The Act allows the Ministry of Defence to protect from unauthorised interference the remains of aircraft and ships lost while in military service. Whether or not an individual merchant vessel is eligible for designation under the Act depends on whether it can be said to have been in military service.
	The Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 is designed to protect wrecks which are of historic, archaeological or artistic importance and is administered by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
	It is the Department for Transport's present policy to refrain from selling the hull of any merchant vessel, owned by the Department and lost to enemy action, where there has been a recorded loss of life.

Mini Scooters

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents there have been involving mini moto scooters in each of the last five years; how many of these accidents have resulted in  (a) fatal,  (b) serious and  (c) slight injuries suffered by (i) the driver of the mini moto scooter, (ii) pedestrians, (iii) cyclists and (iv) other road users.

Stephen Ladyman: No data are available.
	Motorised mini scooters involved in personal injury accidents reported to the police on public roads are recorded under the motorcycle category and cannot be identified as a distinct group of vehicles.

Ministerial Meetings

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when he last met his Scottish counterpart; and what subjects were discussed.

Douglas Alexander: Ministers have regular dialogues with ministerial colleagues in the Scottish Executive, discussing a wide range of issues of mutual interest. It is not our practice to disclose details of such meetings.

Ministerial Transport

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the answer of 15 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1329W, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), on the Deputy Prime Minister (Government car), what the cost was to public funds of the Deputy Prime Minister's Government car, including the driver, in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to my answer of 15 June 2006. I have nothing further to add.

Mobile Network

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with  (a) train operating companies and  (b) Network Rail on the provision of mobile network coverage for consumers on UK rail routes; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with  (a) London and Continental Railways and  (b) Cross London Rail Links Ltd. on the provision of mobile network coverage for business and consumers on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link and Cross Rail, including tunnelled routes; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The subject is raised from time to time in the course of meetings but the Department's view is that providing mobile network coverage is a matter for Network Rail and train operators.

Motorcycling

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate his Department has made of the number of motorcyclists not carrying a front number plate on their motorcycles in England; and what steps his Department is taking to curb this practice.

Stephen Ladyman: The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 prohibit the display of a front number plate on all motorcycles registered on or after 1 September 2001. Keepers of motorcycles registered before this date have the option of whether to display a front number plate or not. There are no plans to change the law. The Department has no figures on the number of motorcycles in England that do not display front number plates. Motorcycles displaying a front number plate can present a danger to their riders and to others and the 2001 changes are intended to increase road safety.

Motorcycling

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to reduce the number of fatal accidents on roads involving motorcycles.

Stephen Ladyman: Motorcycle fatalities and casualties have fallen in each of the last two years, and in 2005 the fatality and casualty rates per 100,000 vehicle kilometres were at their lowest for many years.
	In February 2005, the Department published the Government's Motorcycle Strategy, which was developed with the full involvement of motorcycling industry and user groups. Copies are available in the Library of the House and also on the Department for Transport's website, www.dft.gov.uk .
	The strategy aims to facilitate motorcycling as a safe and sustainable choice of travel and it sets out a range of actions for central or local government, manufacturers, retailers, trainers and user groups, who we are working with to implement the strategy through the National Motorcycle Council.
	In January 2006, we launched a new advertising campaign reminding car drivers to take longer for bikes, on TV, radio and posters. This followed the previous Perfect Day campaign aimed at leisure riders, which is still widely used.

Motorway Services

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what proportion of motorway service areas make special provision for overnight stays by truck drivers; what are the 10 longest stretches of motorway between such dedicated provision; and what action his Department is taking to strengthen this service network.

Stephen Ladyman: It is a Government requirement that all motorway service areas (MSAs) must provide parking for all classes of vehicle, including lorries, and must also be open 24 hours a day every day of the year. Truck drivers will therefore be able to park overnight at any MSA.
	Currently the longest stretches of motorway between MSAs are:
	
		
			   Miles 
			 Clacket Lane (M25)Oxford (M40) 71 
			 Clacket Lane (M25)South Mimms (M25/A1(M)) 66 
			 Oxford (M40)South Mimms (M25/A1(M)) 51 
			 Chester (M56)Birch (M62) 39 
			 Warwick (M40)Tamworth (M42) 38 
			 Chester (M56)Charnock Richard (M6) 34 
			 Strensham (M5)Michaelwood (M5) 34 
			 Thurrock (M25)South Mimms (M25/A1 (M)) 33 
			 Reading (M4)Heston (M4) 32 
			 Thurrock (M25)Birchanger Green (M11) 32 
		
	
	Since 1992 it has been Government policy that it is for the private sector to bring forward proposals for new MSAs through the planning process. Current policy aims to encourage a network of MSAs at intervals of roughly 30 miles. This network is broadly complete although there is still a noticeable gap on the western sector of the M25.
	Following a public inquiry planning permission has been granted for two MSAs at Cobham (M25 J9-10) and Burtley Wood (M40 J2). Once these are open it will significantly reduce the gaps between Clacket Lane, Oxford and South Mimms MSAs listed in the previous table.
	In addition, the Government are prepared to consider granting approval for the signing of good quality truck stops which are situated near to the motorway network.

Motorways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the 10 most congested  (a) motorways and  (b) non-motorway roads were in each of the last 12 months.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department's measure of congestion on the Strategic Road Network in England is journey time reliability, measured by looking at the slowest 10 per cent. of journeys on each route and calculating the average vehicle delay (in minutes per 10 miles travelled) comparing observed journey times with reference journey times. The measure can only be calculated by looking at the distribution of journey times over a whole year, so figures are not available for individual months.

Motorways

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what his Department's policy is on reducing noise nuisance caused to residents living near motorways.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government are committed to using low noise surfacing materials on new strategic roads, and on existing strategic roads when resurfacing is required, to reduce road traffic noise levels and nuisance resulting from their use. The strategic road network includes all motorways in England.
	As part of the 10-year plan, published in 2000, the Government proposed to install quieter surfacing on 60 per cent. of the strategic road network including all concrete stretches, dependent on funds available. To date the Highways Agency has resurfaced approximately 30 per cent. of the strategic road network with quieter materials.
	In addition, on 22 March 1999, the Government announced a ring-fenced budget of 5 million a year to deal with the most serious and pressing cases of traffic noise arising from the existing strategic road network, where there was no early prospect of resurfacing with low-noise materials due to maintenance need. A list of 79 locations was published on 11 November 1999,  Official Report, columns 681-83, and studies carried out to identify the most cost-effective measures to reduce noise. To date, 60 of these locations have been addressed.

Nuclear Waste

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which railway lines in Brent are used for the transportation of nuclear waste.

Stephen Ladyman: I refer the hon. Member to the answer of 16 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1419W.

Post Office Closures

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the effect on  (a) traffic congestion,  (b) miles travelled and  (c) vehicle emissions as a result of the closure of post offices, bank branches and independent retail shops in (i) Welwyn Hatfield constituency and (ii) the Eastern Region.

Stephen Ladyman: No assessment has been made.

Railway Crossings

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many accidents occurred at pedestrian-only railway crossings in  (a) Greater London and  (b) England and Wales in each of the last five years for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Data on level crossing accidents for Great Britain are published in the annual report on railway safety published by the Office of Rail Regulation, copies of which are in the House Library. The figures do not separate out Greater London.

Railway Crossings

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  how many accidents occurred at pedestrian-only railway crossings in Beverley and Holderness in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many accidents occurred at railway crossings in Beverley and Holderness in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: Data on level crossing accidents for Great Britain is published in the annual reports on railway safety now published by the Office of Rail Regulation and previously by the Health and Safety Executive, copies of which are in the House Library.

Railway Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many assaults on  (a) passengers and  (b) railway staff there have been in each of the last five years, broken down by region.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport, in the specific format requested, but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Railway Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at which railway stations the greatest number of assaults on  (a) passengers and  (b) staff took place in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport, but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enguiries@btp.pnn.police.uk

Railway Security

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport at which railway stations there were the greatest number of incidents of vandalism in each of the last five years.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. This information is held by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk

Railway Security

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many incidents of vandalism were reported at Beverley railway station in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Railway Security

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many criminal offences were committed on the North London line in each year since 1997.

Tom Harris: This information is not held by the Department for Transport but by the British Transport police who can be contacted at: British Transport police, 25 Camden Road, London NW1 9LN, e-mail: general.enquiries@btp.pnn.police.uk.

Railway Security

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport when each station in Thurrock constituency, other than Grays and Chafford Hundred, is expected to be accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme; and if he will make a statement.

Tom Harris: The company concerned, c2c is actively seeking to have all its stations accredited under the Secure Stations Scheme and has a target for this to be achieved by the end of 2006.

Railways

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  what the original budgeted costs were for the refurbishment of Sheffield train station; and how much the refurbishment has cost to date;
	(2)  how long the refurbishment of Sheffield train station is scheduled to take; what progress has been made with the refurbishment; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: These are operational matters for Network Rail, the owner and operator of the national rail network. The hon. Member is advised to contact Network Rail's chief executive at the following address for a response to his questions:
	John Armitt
	Chief Executive
	Network Rail
	40 Melton Street
	London
	NW1 2EE

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the impact on passenger numbers of the proposed cutbacks to the rail service from Melksham.

Stephen Ladyman: The changes referred to will have a negligible impact on ridership within the First Great Western franchise.

Railways

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what changes there have been to the reliability of rail services on the Barking to Gospel Oak line since Transport for London began funding additional services on the route.

Tom Harris: The moving annual average reliability figure for Silverlink's Barking to Gospel Oak line was 97.1 per cent. in January 2004. This had increased to 97.8 per cent. by September 2006an improvement of 0.7 per cent. since Transport for London sponsored additional services on the route.

Road Pricing

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  in the review of national road pricing what will be an acceptable level of displacement of traffic on to minor roads;
	(2)  what consideration will be given to providing for transparent pricing that will allow for ease of calculation of journey costs within the review of national road pricing.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government are exploring the scope for developing a national system of road pricing. We are focusing on local pilot schemes and providing support to local authorities as they develop schemes to tackle road congestion; this will test systems in different areas to establish what works and help understand how a road pricing scheme would operate in practice.
	Issues such as the potential for diversion of traffic onto alternative routes and how information on the levels of charges might be communicated to road users will need to be considered as part of the detailed design of pricing schemes.

Road Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many  (a) minor and  (b) serious accidents occurred on the A102 between the A11 and the A13 in (i) 2005 and (ii) 2006.

Stephen Ladyman: There were  (a) 27 slight and  (b) three serious personal injury road accidents reported to the police that occurred on the A102 between the A11 and the A13 in 2005. Data for 2006 are not available.
	 Source
	TfL London Road Safety Unit

Road Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many cyclists were  (a) injured and  (b) killed in road traffic accidents in (i) the Metropolitan Police area of London, (ii) Southend, (iii) Essex and (iv) England and Wales in (A) 2005 and (B) 2006.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of cyclists  (a) injured and  (b) killed in personal injury road accidents reported to the police in (i) the Metropolitan Police area of London, (ii) Southend, (iii) Essex and (iv) England and Wales in 2005 are given in the following table. Data for 2006 are not available.
	
		
			  Number of cyclists killed and injured in road traffic injury accidents: 2005 
			   Fatal  Injured( 1)  Total 
			 England and Wales 132 15,650 15,782 
			 Metropolitan Police(2) 20 2,779 2,799 
			 Southend 0 73 73 
			 Thurrock 1 32 33 
			 Essex County (excluding the unitary authorities of Southend and Thurrock) 2 342 344 
			 (1) Includes slight and serious injuries. (2) Excludes City of London Police.

Road Safety

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport where in England and Wales statisticians from his Department monitor seat belt wearing rates; what guidance his Department issues to statisticians on collecting this information; how many  (a) males and  (b) females are employed to monitor seat belt wearing rates; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: TRL Ltd. undertakes regular observational seat belt wearing surveys for the Department. Information on the methodology employed by TRL Ltd. is given in their published annual leaflets. A copy of the most recent leaflet, LF 2099 of August 2006 has been placed in the Library. Information is also given in a 1990 report Restraint use by car occupants, 1982-89 by J Broughton, TRL Research Report 289, which can be obtained from TRL Ltd., on 01344 770783, at a cost of 30. Thirteen female TRL employees undertook the most recent survey in April 2006.

Road Safety

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research he has commissioned into the number of collisions and near-collisions with  (a) vehicles,  (b) pedestrians and  (c) other bicycles as a result of cyclists going through red lights.

Stephen Ladyman: No research has been commissioned by the Department for Transport into collisions resulting from cyclists going through red lights.

Road Safety

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many serious accidents have occurred on  (a) the A406 North Circular Road between the Lee Valley and the A105 Green Lanes and  (b) the A10 between Tottenham and the M25 in the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of serious personal injury accidents reported to the police on  (a) the A406 North Circular Road between the Lee Valley at the junction of A1009 Hall lane and the A105 Green Lanes; and  (b) the A10 between the junction of A109 at Tottenham and its junction with M25 for the last five years are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of serious personal injury road accidents 2001-05 
			   (a)  (b)  Junction included in both (a) and (b)( 1) 
			 2000 18 20 3 
			 2001 14 23 2 
			 2002 20 19 3 
			 2003 20 24 a 
			 2004 14 13 1 
			 2005 3 17 0 
			 (1) The figures given in columns (a) and (b) have a junction which is common to both lengths of road and therefore the accidents on that junction will be included in both sets of figures. The separate figures for this junction are given in the main answer.  Source: TFL LRSU

Road Safety

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many alcohol-related road accidents there have been in each year since 1997, broken down by police authority; and how many deaths occurred.

Stephen Ladyman: Estimates of personal injury road accidents reported to the police, involving illegal alcohol levels and the consequent casualties, in Great Britain are calculated on a national basis only. These estimates are published in an article in Road Casualties Great Britain: 2005 published on 28 September 2006. Copies of the publication have been placed in the Library of the House.

Road Safety

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the socio-economic group most likely to be involved in a road traffic accident in  (a) Surrey and  (b) England in the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department has monitored external research on the socio-economic groups most likely to be involved in a road traffic accident.
	The most recent research of which we are aware was published in the  British Medical Journal in July 2006 and examined socio-economic inequalities in rates of death of children from road accidents in England and Wales.
	The research shows that in 2001 to 2003, compared with children of parents in class NS-SEC 1(1), the death rate of children with parents in class NS-SEC 8(2 )was:
	20.6 times higher for deaths as pedestrians;
	5.5 times higher for deaths as car occupants; and
	27.5 times higher for deaths as cyclists.
	We have not made any assessment of the socio-economic groups most likely to be involved in a road traffic accident in Surrey in the last 10 years.
	(1) National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification Class 1: Higher managerial and professional occupations.
	(2) National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification Class 8: Never worked and long-term unemployed

Road Safety

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport on what days of the week the highest proportion of road traffic accidents occurred in  (a) Surrey and  (b) England over the last 10 years.

Stephen Ladyman: Friday had the highest proportion of road traffic personal injury accidents in both  (a) Surrey and  (b) England for every year from 1996 to 2005.

Road Safety

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many speed cameras are in operation, broken down by county.

Stephen Ladyman: The following table shows the number of speed camera sites, split by type of speed camera, in each safety camera partnership area in England and Wales as at 4 October 2006.
	
		
			  Partnership name  Fixed  Mobile  Red light-speed  Routes  Average speed  Total 
			 Avon and Somerset 67 176243 
			 Bedfordshire 44 70114 
			 Cambridgeshire 53 4093 
			 Cheshire 42 3274 
			 Cleveland 3 4548 
			 Cumbria 2 3840 
			 Derbyshire 47 81128 
			 Devon and Cornwall 75 80155 
			 Dorset 51 54105 
			 Essex 82 141223 
			 Gloucestershire 26 4571 
			 Greater Manchester 101 163264 
			 Hampshire 31 3869 
			 Hertfordshire 56 3793 
			 Humberside 3 79  2  84 
			 Kent and Medway 73 56129 
			 Lancashire 272 74346 
			 Leicestershire 15 73 1   89 
			 Lincolnshire 45 1964 
			 London 401 401 
			 Merseyside 30 2252 
			 Mid and South Wales 111 263374 
			 Norfolk 11 24  8  43 
			 North Wales 13 6174 
			 Northamptonshire 40 42   2 84 
			 Northumbria 43 86129 
			 Nottinghamshire 11 36 1 2 10 60 
			 South Yorkshire 55 63   1 119 
			 Staffordshire 65 3398 
			 Suffolk 8 4856 
			 Surrey 17 421 
			 Sussex 51 2677 
			 Thames Valley 216 60276 
			 Warwickshire 21 3758 
			 West Mercia 15 4156 
			 West Midlands 139 16155 
			 West Yorkshire 110 51161 
			 Wiltshire 8 6068 
			 Grand total 2,453 2,314 2 12 13 4,794

Road Safety

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  which county had the  (a) highest,  (b) lowest number of road traffic accidents per registered vehicle in 2005-06;
	(2)  how many road traffic accidents per registered vehicle there were in  (a) Surrey and  (b) England in 2005-06.

Stephen Ladyman: The number of personal injury road accidents per 1,000 registered vehicles was 9.0 in London (highest), 6.6 in Surrey, 2.6 in Western Isles (lowest) and 6.3 in England.
	It should be noted that an accident may not occur in the same county as the one in which the vehicle is registered.

Road Safety

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what assessment he has made of the potential for  (a) speed cameras and  (b) speed camera warning signs to cause drivers to reduce speed recklessly when seen.

Stephen Ladyman: The Department's objective is to encourage and assist people to drive within the posted speed limit at all times. The purpose of deploying speed cameras is to further encourage them to do so at locations where excessive speed is a known danger. Consistent with this aim, cameras operating within the National Safety Camera Programme are required to meet strict visibility and conspicuity rules in order to enhance their deterrent effect.
	No assessment has been made of the potential for speed cameras and speed camera warning signs to cause drivers to reduce speed recklessly when seen. We are aware that some speeding drivers check or reduce their speed on the approach to camera sites. However there is no evidence that this is done recklessly. Neither is there evidence that this is a cause of accidents. In any case, drivers who comply with the posted speed limit should not need to reduce their speed when they see a speed camera or camera warning sign.

Road Safety

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what plans he has for changes to  (a) the way in which speed limits apply and  (b) the limits that apply.

Stephen Ladyman: The Government have no current plans to change the national speed limits for which we are responsible.
	New guidance to traffic authorities on setting local speed limits was published by the Department on 8 August 2006. This requested authorities to review speed limits and implement any changes on their A and B roads by 2011.
	This process is designed to improve speed limit consistency across the road network and as a result some speed limits may increase or decrease dependent on the local evidence and needs.

Road Safety

Humfrey Malins: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport whether records are kept on the number of road traffic accidents per year involving ambulances; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Ladyman: In 2005, there were 291 personal injury road accidents involving an ambulance that were reported to the police.

Road Safety

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on advertising warning of the dangers of  (a) drink driving,  (b) driving after consuming illegal drugs,  (c) driving whilst using a mobile telephone and  (d) driving over the speed limit in each year since 1997.

Stephen Ladyman: The dangers of drink driving, drug driving, speeding and driving while using a mobile telephone form part of the Government's THINK! road safety campaign. The Government are investing around 15 million in the THINK! campaign in this fiscal year.
	The campaign advertising costs for the above campaigns since 2002-2003 fiscal year are as follows:
	
		
			  Campaign  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Drink Driving 1 .64 million 2.1 million 2.31 million 2.7 million (1)3.0 million 
			 Drug Driving nil 138,000 150,000 223,000 (1)260,000 
			 Mobile Phones 189,000 900,000 411,000 500,000 (1)400,000 
			 Speed 1.76 million 1.6 million 1.87 million 1.64 million (1)2.1 million 
			 (1 )Expected outturn 
		
	
	Following departmental reorganisations, provision of total expenditure figures for the period prior to 2002 would involve disproportionate costs.

Roads (East Yorkshire)

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what representations he has received for funding  (a) to widen and  (b) to improve the (i) A166 and (ii) A165 in East Yorkshire.

Stephen Ladyman: Both the A166 and A165 roads in East Yorkshire are the responsibility of East Riding of Yorkshire council, as the local highway authority. The Department has received no representations to  (a) widen or  (b) improve the (i) A166 and (ii) A165 in East Yorkshire. The council's second local transport plan (LTP2) does not include any future scheme for improving or widening these routes within East Yorkshire up to 2011.

Shipping Guidance (Oil Transfers)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will place in the Library a copy of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency guidance on consultation on ship-to-ship oil transfer planning applications.

Stephen Ladyman: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) document Contingency Planning for Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response: Guidelines for Ports (March 2002), which includes consultation guidance for ports, including ship-to-ship oil transfer operations, can be located on the MCA website:
	http://www.mcqa.gov.uk/c4mca/mcqa-oprc guidelines.pdf

Shipping Guidance (Oil Transfers)

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the Maritime and Coastguard Agency's environmental protection guidelines are in relation to ship-to-ship oil transfers.

Stephen Ladyman: The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) document Contingency Planning for Marine Pollution Preparedness and Response: Guidelines for Ports (March 2002) includes environmental protection guidance for ports, which includes ship-to-ship oil transfer operations.
	This document can be located on the MCA website:
	http://www.mcqa.gov.uk/c4mca/mcga-oprc_guidelines.pdf

Thameslink

Chris Grayling: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much it cost to build the Thameslink tunnels under St. Pancras station.

Tom Harris: The cost of building the Thameslink tunnels including the station box beneath St. Pancras was 155 million. This includes compensation to the train operating companies during the period of the works.

Transport (Seating)

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what research his Department has undertaken on the extent to which people of above-average height have adequate seating on  (a) trains,  (b) aeroplanes and  (c) buses.

Gillian Merron: The Department for Transport has undertaken no specific research on the extent to which people of above-average height have adequate seating on trains, aeroplanes and buses.
	However, a range of regulations covering these modes set minimum requirements for seat spacing, which should enable the majority of passengers to travel safely and in reasonable comfort.

Unadopted Roads

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate he has made of the cost to each local authority of adopting all the unadopted roads in its authority area.

Gillian Merron: There has been no recent estimate of the cost of bringing unadopted roads (roads not currently maintained at public expense), to the standard required that would allow them to be adopted by the local highway authority.
	There are no estimates by individual authority. However, based on a 1972 survey (there are no more up-to-date statistics), it is thought that there are around 40,000 unadopted roads in the UK and that it would cost in the region of 3 billion at today's prices to make them up to an adoptable standard.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what the value of the vehicle excise duty rebate was in 2005-06, broken down by  (a) bus company,  (b) region,  (c) passenger transport executive area and  (d) local authority area.

Stephen Ladyman: This information is not held in the format requested.

Vehicle Excise Duty

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how many online applications for vehicle excise duty have been made in each quarter since the introduction of the facility.

Stephen Ladyman: DVLA introduced its electronic vehicle licensing service in February 2004, which was nationally launched in January 2006. The following table provides a breakdown of re-licensing transactions made online in each quarter since its introduction.
	
		
			  Quarter  2004  2005  2006 
			 1 266 76,424 526,054 
			 2 1,455 102,327 755,548 
			 3 3,962 240,153 1,222,169 
			 4 34,644 260,773

TREASURY

Absence Rates

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many days were lost through absence in  (a) private sector businesses and  (b) public sector organisations in the last 12 months.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 9 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about days lost through absence in the private and public sectors. I am replying in her absence. (91871)
	The number of days lost through sickness absence in a specific year is not available. However the Labour Force Survey (LFS), which is a continuous survey throughout the year, asks employed respondents for the number of working days lost due to sickness or injury during the week before the LFS interview. The attached table shows these estimates for interviews carried out between April and June 2005 and 2006. It is not possible to scale this data, which reflects specific points in time, to represent an annual period. In addition, different employment and working patterns affect whether the question is actually asked and the actual responses to the question.
	These estimates from the LFS are, as with any sample survey, subject to sampling variability.
	
		
			  Number of days lost due to sickness absence( 1 ) by public or private sector, 2005 and 2006 United Kingdom, not seasonally adjusted 
			  Thousand 
			  LFS survey period April-June  Private sector  Public sector 
			  2005   
			 Number of days lost in the LFS interview week(2) 982 522 
			 Absence rate(3) 2.4 2.8 
			
			  2006   
			 Number of days lost in the LFS interview week(2) 951 444 
			 Absence rate(3) 2.2 2.6 
			 (1) Employees scheduled to work in the reference week for the survey period April-June. (2) Quarterly and annual estimates constructed by multiplying these data by 13 or 52 would not be representative of these periods because sickness absence over the period of a specific week is not representative of a longer period and different employment and working patterns affect the responses to the question. (3) Employees absent for at least one day in the LFS interview week due to sickness absence as a percentage of all employees in each sector.  Source: ONS Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Access to Work Scheme

Danny Alexander: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was paid to his Department from the Access to Work Scheme for adjustments for disabled staff in the last year for which figures are available; from what budget he plans to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff following withdrawal of Access to Work funding for central Government departments; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: In the last year for which figures are available (2005) the Treasury received 650 funding from the Access to Work Scheme.
	The Treasury, as an employer, has a central budget to ensure reasonable adjustments are put in place for disabled people joining, or in, the Department. This budget will meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff.

Accidents (Graveyards)

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the number of deaths from accidents in graveyards or cemeteries in each of the last three years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking what estimate the Office for National Statistics has made of the number of deaths from accidents in graveyards or cemeteries in each of the last three years. (89409)
	The Office for National Statistics has not made any estimate of the total number of deaths from accidents in graveyards or cemeteries in the last three years. Although the place of accident is recorded at death registration it is limited to the following categories:
	Home
	Farm
	Mine or quarry
	Industrial place or premises
	Place of recreation or sport
	Street or highway
	Public building
	Resident institution
	The option to specify other places is available but these are not coded to specifically allow graveyards or cemeteries to be identified.

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer I gave on 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1341W to the hon. Member for North Ayrshire and Arran (Ms Clark).

Anniversary Celebrations

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to celebrate his 10th anniversary of his holding the office of Chancellor of the Exchequer.

John Healey: The Chancellor has served in his post for nine years and five months, not for 10 years.

Average Wages

Hugh Bayley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) average wage for (i) full-time male, (ii) full-time female, (iii) part-time male and (iv) part-time female employees and  (b) average household income for working age households was in City of York council area in (1) cash and (2) constant price terms in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Stephen Penneck, dated 9 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the (a) wage for (i) full-time male, (ii) full-time female, (iii) part time male and (iv) part time female employees and (b) average household income for working age households was in City of York council area in (1) cash and (2) constant price terms in each of the last 10 years. I am replying in her absence. (88725).
	Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE), and are provided for employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. This is the standard definition used for ASHE. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work. I have attached tables containing statistics on earnings from the ASHE for the years 1997-2005 which are all that is available. The second table shows these earnings statistics expressed in 2005 prices by using the Retail Price Index (RPI).
	Average household income for working age households by council area is not available. Household income statistics for all households in the UK, based on the Family Resources Survey, are produced by the Department of Work and Pensions. Additionally the Office for National Statistics has produced statistics for wards for 2001-02 only. These estimates are based on a statistical model and are experimental statistics - they have been developed in accordance with the principles set out in the National Statistics Code of Practice but are not accredited as National Statistics.
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
	
		
			  Gross weekly (cash ) pay for employee jobs( 1)  by place of workCity of York 
			   
			   Median  Mean 
			   Full-time male  Full-time female  Part-time male  Part-time female  Full-time male  Full-time female  Part-time male  Part-time female 
			 1997 363 235 x 89 397 260 x 103 
			 1998 372 250 x 95 420 284 x 106 
			 1999 382 267 x 101 432 303 x 111 
			 2000 403 286 x 117 462 320 93 126 
			 2001 402 303 x 116 447 331 x 132 
			 2002 448 306 x 125 475 349 x 138 
			 2003 457 317 x 129 517 369 146 150 
			 2004 472 342 x 130 526 399 158 150 
			 2004(2) 460 342 x 126 505 398 x 147 
			 2005 455 359 x 134 508 401 141 155 
		
	
	
		
			  Gross weekly (constant price ) pay for employee jobs( 3)  by place of workCity of York 
			   
			   Median  Mean 
			   Full-time male  Full-time female  Part-time male  Part-time female  Full-time male  Full-time female  Part-time male  Part-time female 
			 1997 445 288 x 109 487 319 x 126 
			 1998 438 294 x 112 495 335 x 125 
			 1999 443 310 x 117 501 352 x 129 
			 2000 454 322 x 132 520 360 105 142 
			 2001 445 336 x 128 495 367 x 146 
			 2002 489 334 x 136 518 381 x 150 
			 2003 483 335 x 136 547 390 154 159 
			 2004 499 353 x 134 543 412 163 155 
			 2004(2) 475 353 x 130 521 411 x 152 
			 2005 455 359 x 134 508 401 141 155 
			 (1 )Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence. From1997-2005 estimates are based on the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings.  (2 )In 2004 additional supplementary surveys were introduced to improve the coverage of the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings. Figures are presented both excluding and including the additional surveys for comparison purposes.  (3) Constant price terms have been uprated using the Retail Prices Index (RPI), re-based at April 2005.  Guide to qualify The Coefficient of Variation (CV) indicates the quality of a figure, the smaller the CV value the higher the quality. The true value is likely to lie within +/- twice the CV e.g. for an average of 200 with a CV of 5 percent., we would expect the population average to be within the range 180 to 220. The above estimates all have a CV of less than 5 percent. An x has been given for estimates with a CV of greater than 20 percent.   Note: The median replaces the mean as the headline statistic. The weighted mean is the sum of the weighted values divided by the sum of the weights. The median is the value below which 50 percent. of employees fall. It is preferred over the mean for earnings data as it is influenced less by extreme values and because of the skewed distribution of earnings data.  Source: Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, Office for National Statistics.

Cancer

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were diagnosed with any form of cancer in each year between 2000-01 and 2004-05.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking how many people were diagnosed with any from of cancer in each year between 2000-01 and 2004-05. (91566)
	The most recent available information on registration of newly diagnosed cases (incidences) are for the year 2004 and were published on 28(th) September 2006. Numbers of newly diagnosed cases of all malignant cancers registered in England between 2000 and 2004 are given in the table below.
	
		
			  Newly diagnosed cases of all malignant cancers( 1 ) registered in England 
			  Number 
			 2000 223,609 
			 2001 224,650 
			 2002 223,789 
			 2003 227,472 
			 2004 233,621 
			 (1 )'All malignant cancers' are defined by codes C00-C97 excluding non-melanoma skin cancer code C44 in the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Edition (ICD-10)  Source: Office of National Statistics Years 2000-2003Table1 'Cancer Statistics: registrations, England' series MB1 http://www.statisitcs.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asap?vink=8843Pos=1ColRank=2Rank=272 Year 2004'Cancer Registrations in England, 2004' first release http://www.statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vink=7720

Civil Servants (Consultancy Firms)

Austin Mitchell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many senior civil servants have left the Treasury to join consultancy firms in the last two years.

John Healey: We do not have details of the new employers of all civil servants who have left HM Treasury.

Civil Service Pension Schemes

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 15 March 2006,  Official Report, column 2363W, on Civil Service Pension Schemes, when he will publish the actuarial assumptions on future rates of withdrawal from active membership in the occupational pension schemes for the NHS, teachers and civil service; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The information requested was placed in the Library on 15 March 2006.

Climate Change

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he expects to receive the final report of the review of the economics of climate change prepared by Sir Nick Stern.

John Healey: The final report of the review on the economics of climate change will be published in Autumn 2006.

Climate Change

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the impact the climate change levy has had on business; and what recent discussions he has had on this subject.

John Healey: The Government published an independent evaluation of the climate change levy (CCL), Modelling the Initial Effects of the Climate Change Levy, by Cambridge Econometrics at Budget 2005 which is available at www.hmrc.gov.uk. The evaluation concluded that the CCL package is expected to deliver emissions savings of over 3.5 million tonnes per annum of carbon by 2010, and with the accompanying reduction in national insurance contributions, to reduce overall unit costs for business by 0.13 per cent.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will make a statement on the outcome of the study conducted by the Office of National Statistics and the Health Protection Agency to identify the total number of deaths where  Clostridium difficile was mentioned on the death certificate.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking for a statement on the outcome of the study conducted by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) and the Health Protection Agency to identity the total number of deaths where  Clostridium difficile was mentioned on the death certificate. (89862)
	This study has now been completed and special analyses of deaths involving  Clostridium difficile are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. The results are published in Health Statistics Quarterly (HSO). The latest year for which such figures are available is 2004. Information on the numbers of deaths between 1999 and 2004 involving  Clostridium difficile was published in HSO 30 in May 2006.! Please see also the replies to two other related questions you have asked.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many death certificates in England and Wales in  (a) 2003,  (b) 2004 and  (c) 2005 (i) mentioned  Clostridium difficile and (ii) listed  Clostridium difficile as the underlying cause of death; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question asking how many death certificates in England and Wales in (a) 2003, (b) 2004 and (c) 2005 (i) mentioned  Clostridium difficile and (ii) listed  Clostridium difficile as the underlying cause of death. (89860)
	Special analyses of deaths involving  Clostridium difficile are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. These are published in Health Statistics Quarterly. The latest year for which such figures are available is 2004. Information on the numbers of deaths between 1999 and 2004 involving  Clostridium difficile was published in Health Statistics Quarterly 30 in May 2006. The table below is extracted from this report:
	
		
			  Number of death certificates in England and Wales( 1)  which (i) mentioned Clostridium difficile( 2)  and (ii) listed Clostridium difficile as the underlying cause of death( 3)  in 2003 and 2004( 4) 
			   (a) 2003  (b) 2004 
			 (i) Certificates mentioning  Clostridium difficile 1,788 2,247 
			 (ii) Certificates where  Clostridium difficile was the underlying cause of death 958 1,245 
			 (1) Data includes non-residents who died in England and Wales  (2) Identified using the methodology described in Office for National Statistics (2005) Report: Deaths involving  Clostridium difficile England and Wales. 1999-2004. Health Statistics Quarterly 30, 56-60.  (3) Excludes neonatal deaths (4) Deaths occurring in 2003 and 2004

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many and what proportion of deaths  (a) clostridium difficile and  (b) MRSA was recorded as a contributory factor in each year since 2002, broken down by hospital.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006
	AsNational Statistician I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking in how many and what proportion of deaths (a)  Clostridium difficile and (b) MRSA was recorded as a contributory factor in each year since 2002, broken down by hospital. (90344)
	Special analyses of deaths involving  Clostridium difficile and MRSA are undertaken annually by ONS for England and Wales. The results are published in  Health Statistics Quarterly (HSQ). The latest year for which such figures are available is 2004. Information on the numbers of deaths between 1999 and 2004 involving  Clostridium difficile was published in  HSQ 30 in May 2006(1). Information on the number of deaths between 2000 and 2004 involving MRSA was published in HSQ 29 in( )February 2006(2).
	The number of deaths in NHS Hospitals where  Clostridium difficile was a contributory factor in the years 2001 to 2004 was 6,168 out of a total of 1,178,776 deaths in NHS Hospitals. This represents 0.5 per cent of all deaths in NHS Hospitals between 2001 and 2004. The number of deaths in NHS Hospitals where MRSA was a contributory factor in the years 2000 to 2004 was 3,830 out of a total of 1,467,116 deaths in NHS Hospitals. This represents 0.2 per cent of all deaths in NHS Hospitals between 2000 and 2004.
	A breakdown of the figures for  Clostridium difficile and MRSA by individual hospital could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Comprehensive Spending Review

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the transitional costs arising from the Treasury Group's CSR settlement to be met from a modernisation fund.

John Healey: The Treasury Group is in the process of planning for the CSR period, which will include proposals for activities to be funded from the Modernisation Fund. At this stage, an overall estimate of transitional costs is not available.

Corporation Tax

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 2106W, on corporation tax, what annual mean average amount of additional tax is expected to be paid as a consequence of the removal of the zero per cent. starting rate of corporation tax by  (a) the 720,000 companies expected to be affected by the change and  (b) the 870,000 companies which make less than 10,000 annual profit.

John Healey: The 19 per cent. non-corporate distribution rate and the 0 per cent. starting rate of corporation tax have been replaced by a new single banding for small company profits, set at the current small companies' rate of 19 per cent.
	For 2006-07 the mean average annual amount of additional tax expected to be paid following this change is:
	 (a) 690 (median 475) by 720,000 companies affected;
	 (b) 665 (median 450) by the 370,000 companies within this total which make annual profits up to 10,000.

Correspondence

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the correspondence on tax credits from the hon. Member for Angus concerning a constituent  (a) Miss Adamson and  (b) Miss Shaw of Forfar.

Dawn Primarolo: I have replied to the hon. Member.

Correspondence

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when the Paymaster General will reply to the letters of 13 October 2005, 21 December 2005, 17 February 2006, 4 April 2006 and 19 May 2006 from the hon. Member for Blackpool, South with regard to his constituent Tina Bannister; and what the reasons are for the delay.

Dawn Primarolo: I very much regret the delay in replying to the hon. Member's letters. I have now done so.

Customs Officers

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many vacancies there were for Customs officers at UK entry points in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

Dawn Primarolo: At present, HM Revenue and Customs has posts for 5,700 staff at UK Entry Points. Staff vacancies vary throughout the year with retirements, promotions and other staffing changes. It is the Department's policy to maintain staffing as close as possible to the number of posts by filling vacancies as they arise or through grouped appointment exercises.

Cyclamen Technology

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why the Cyclamen technology in container ports will not be subject to 24 hour operation; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Once roll-out is complete Programme Cyclamen will provide a 24-hour screening capability at all UK container ports through a combination of fixed and mobile radiation detection systems. Deployment is intelligence-led and risk-based. For security reasons, the operation of this capability is not suitable for general disclosure.

Cyclamen Technology

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will make a statement on the extent of the use of Cyclamen technology in UK sea ports.

Tony McNulty: I have been asked to reply.
	Programme Cyclamen screens incoming sea traffic through a combination of fixed and mobile radiation detection systems. Fixed detection equipment is in operation at a number of sea ports and rollout across the UK will continue during 2006-07. For national security reasons, the operation of this capability, which is intelligence-led and risk-based, is not suitable for general disclosure.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of the total carbon emissions from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

John Healey: Total carbon emissions from 1 Horse Guards road were calculated at 4,662 tonnes by the Carbon Trust in March 2005 based on energy consumption data for the first full year of occupation following the refurbishment of the building. Subsequent investment has been made in improving lighting and temperature controls to further reduce emissions.

Departmental Childcare Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what childcare  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to his Department's staff;
	(2)  which of his Department's premises have childcare facilities on site;
	(3)  whether there are waiting lists for places at childcare facilities which his Department provides for its employees.

John Healey: The Treasury is a member of the Westminster holiday play scheme, which operates during school holidays and is open to children aged four years and nine months up to 12 years of age. The Treasury has two bespoke play scheme rooms, which can cater for up to 18 children. The scheme is advertised six weeks in advance. Staff have to submit an application form for places which are allocated on a first come, first served basis. Staff have been allocated their requested places for the last three play schemes.
	The Treasury also supports the childcare cost of eligible staff. Staff who work full time receive childcare vouchers up to the value of 40.00 per week per family, part timers receive a pro-rata amount. Staff have the flexibility to use their childcare vouchers with any Ofsted registered or Approved childcare provider.
	Currently 103 members of staff receive childcare vouchers.

Departmental Expenditure

Grant Shapps: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent by his Department on food and alcohol for its staff working out of office in each year since 2001-02.

John Healey: Amounts spent annually on food and alcohol for HM Treasury staff working out of the office are not recorded separately from other subsistence costs and could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost.
	Subsistence costs are incurred in accordance with the rules set out in the Civil Service Management Code as well as the Treasury's internal guidance.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

John Healey: Treasury publications are listed on the Treasury's website. Details of command papers and parliamentary papers can be found on the website of the Stationery Office. Circulation figures and costs relating to individual publications are not readily available.

Departmental Staff

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whom he employs to assist him in speech-writing; whether each person is employed on a  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time basis; and what the cost was in the most recent period for which figures are available.

John Healey: The Chancellor follows the practice of his predecessors. A private secretary assists in research on his speeches.

Departmental Staff

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whom he employs as a consultant or adviser to assist him personally in fulfilling his official duties; whether each is employed  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time; and what the cost of employing each person was in the latest period for which figures are available.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to the Prime Minister's written statement of 24 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 86-91WS, which gives details about those employed on special adviser terms.

Departmental Staff

James Duddridge: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff have been employed by his Department in each of the last 10 years.

John Healey: Information on the number of staff employed can be found in the Treasury departmental reports available from the Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/about/departmental_reports/

Departmental Staff

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

John Healey: Treasury employees may apply for interest free loans for the purchase of bicycles, including bicycles adapted for people with disabilities, and the Treasury has a designated bicycle parking area within the premises. Neither the loans nor the provision of bicycle parking normally count as taxable benefits. During 2005-06, three (less than 1 per cent.) Treasury employees were advanced bicycle loans. The loans are paid to the employee and are not provided through the supplier of the bicycle.

Departmental Staff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of his Department's employees have been  (a) dismissed,  (b) suspended and  (c) subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity in each year since 1997.

John Healey: One employee in 1997 and one employee in 1999 were suspended whilst alleged criminal activity was investigated. Both were subsequently subject to disciplinary action and dismissed.

EDS (Compensation)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what contracts are to be offset with the 26.5 million compensation agreed with EDS in respect of the tax credits computer system; which Government Departments are involved; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Under the terms of the settlement, EDS is required to make instalment payments to HMRC, and cannot offset these payments against any other contracts. The terms of the settlement have no part to play in whether or not a particular contract is awarded to EDS, which can only be determined by relevant Departments in accordance with the procurement rules.

Employer Provided Computing Scheme

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will implement an Employer Provided Computing Scheme; and what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on this matter

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 25 July 2006
	The Government have no plans to implement an Employer Provided Computing Scheme. HM Treasury has discussed the Government's digital strategy with the Department for Trade and Industry on a number of occasions.

Employment Equality Regulations

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to the Treasury was in 2005-06 of subsidising the concession for pensioners in further education courses before the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.

John Healey: Further Education (FE) providers have the discretion to offer different levels of subsidy to different groups of FE learners. There is also a national fee assumption for FE courses. In 2005-06, it was assumed that adult learners in FE contribute 27.5 per cent. of the basic course cost of their learning unless they are entitled to free tuition. Cost information on the different levels of subsidies offered by FE providers is not compiled centrally.

Employment Equality Regulations

Philip Dunne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the estimated revenue gain in  (a) 2006-07 and  (b) a subsequent full year is from terminating the concession for pensioners in further education courses under the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations coming into effect on 1 October 2006.

John Healey: Further education (FE) providers have the discretion to offer different levels of subsidy to different groups of FE learners. There is also a national fee assumption for FE courses. In 2006-07, it is assumed that adult learners in FE contribute 32.5 per cent. of the basic course cost of their learning unless they are entitled to free tuition. With the introduction of the Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, FE providers will need to ensure that their fees policy in relation to groups of learners of different ages is in line with the new regulations.

Employment Statistics

Hugh Bayley: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people were  (a) employed (i) full-time and (ii) part-time and  (b) unemployed in (A) the City of York constituency, (B) City of York Council area, (C) Yorkshire and the Humber and (D) United Kingdom (1) at the latest date for which figures are available and (2) at the same date in each of the previous 10 years.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 9 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about employment and unemployment. I am replying in her absence. (88924)
	The Office for National Statistics (ONS) compiles statistics of employment and unemployment for local areas from the annual local area Labour Force Survey (LFS) and the Annual Population Survey (APS) following International Labour Organisation definitions.
	Table 1, attached, shows the number of people in employment, by full-time and part time status, and the levels and rates of unemployment for people resident in the City of York Parliamentary Constituency for the 12 months ending in February from 1996 to 2004 from the annual local area LFS and for the 12 month periods ending in March 2005 and December 2005. Table 2, attached, shows corresponding data for the City of York Unitary Authority; Table 3 for the Yorkshire and the Humber region and Table 4 for the United Kingdom.
	These estimates, as with any from sample surveys, are subject to a margin of uncertainty. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution
	ONS also compiles statistics for local areas of people claiming Jobseekers Allowance (JSA). Table 5, attached, shows the number of claimants of JSA resident in the City of York Parliamentary Constituency, City of York Unitary Authority. Yorkshire and the Humber region and the United Kingdom for each June from 1996 to 2006 and as a proportion of the resident working age population.
	
		
			  Table 1: Employment, by full-time and part-time status, and unemployment City of York parliamentary constituency. 
			   Employment (16+) (000)   Unemployment (16+)  
			  12 months ending: ( 1) Total  Full-time  Part-time  Working age employment rate (percentage)  Total (000)  Rate (percentage) 
			 February 1996 51 38 13 75.3 n/a n/a 
			 February 1997 44 32 12 68.1 4 8.0 
			 February 1998 45 31 14 68.9 4 7.3 
			 February 1999 48 33 15 73.4 3 6.4 
			 February 2000 45 34 12 76.7 2 5.2 
			 February 2001 51 36 15 78.0 3 4.9 
			 February 2002 51 36 16 76.5 2 4.3 
			 February 2003 54 37 16 77.4 2 3.9 
			 February 2004 53 37 16 76.6 3 4.7 
			 March 2005 55 39 16 75.4 2 3.1 
			 December 2005 52 38 14 76.1 2 2.9 
			 (1)Includes people who did not state whether they worked full-time or part-time. n/a not available  Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Employment, by full-time and part-time status, and unemployment; City of York Unitary Authority. 
			   Employment (16+) (000)Unemployment (16+) 
			  12 months ending ( 1) Total  Full-time  Part-time  Working age employment rate (percentage)  Total (000)  Rate (percentage) 
			 February 1996 87 62 25 77.9 5 5.8 
			 February 1997 82 59 23 75.4 4 4.7 
			 February 1998 77 57 20 72.4 4 5.0 
			 February 199S 83 59 24 76.4 5 5.7 
			 February 2000 83 61 22 76.0 4 4.3 
			 February 2001 93 64 29 81.0 4 3.8 
			 February 2002 93 66 27 79.5 4 3.9 
			 February 2003 93 65 28 79.1 3 3.1 
			 February 2004 92 65 27 79.1 4 4.0 
			 March 2005 92 65 27 79.0 2 2.2 
			 December 2005 92 66 25 78.7 2 2.1 
			 (1)Includes people who did not state whether they worked full-time or part-time.  Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 3: Employment, by full-time and part-time status, and unemployment; Yorkshire and the Number region.. 
			   Employment (16+) (000)|   Unemployment (16+) 
			  12 months ending ( 1) Total  Full-time  Part-time  Working age employment rate (percentage)  Total (000)  Rate (percentage) 
			 February 1996 2,173, 1,603 566 71.2 200 8.4 
			 February 1997 2,151 1,590 560 70.4 198 8.4 
			 February 1998 2,170 1,594 576 71.1 172 7.3 
			 February 1999 2,212 1,616 595 72.6 164 6.9 
			 February 2000 2,211 1,620 591 72.6 152 6.4 
			 February 2001 2,259 1,634 624 73.6 140 5.9 
			 February 2002 2,265 1,658 606 73.4 121 5.1 
			 February 2003 2,280 1,664 616 73.3 119 5.0 
			 February 2004 2,312 1,671 641 73.9 121 5.0 
			 March 2005 2,320 1,696 623 74.1 105 4.3 
			 December 2005 2,327 1,697 629 74.1 115 4.7 
			 (1)Includes people who did not state whether they worked full-time or part-time.  Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey: Annual Population Survey 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 4: Employment, by full-time and part-time status, and unemployment; United Kingdom. 
			   Employment (16+) (000)   Unemployment (16+) 
			  12 months ending ( 1) Total  Full-time  Part-time  Working age employment rate (percentage)  Total (000)  Rate (percentage) 
			 February 1996 25,721 19,409 6,270 71.2 2,400 8.5 
			 February 1997 26,011 19,482 6,520 71.9 2,207 7.8 
			 February 1998 26,357 19,752 6,594 72.6 1,911 6.8 
			 February 1999 26,659 19,996 6,655 73.3 1,730 6.1 
			 February 2000 26,908 20,142 6,758 73.6 1,689 5.9 
			 February 2001 27,180 20,283 6,887 73.9 1,518 5.3 
			 February 2002 27,433 20,508 6,915 74.1 1,450 5.0 
			 February 2003 27,566 20,484 7,067 74.0 1,494 5.1 
			 February 2004 27,789 20,538 7,237 74.1 1,444 4.9 
			 March 2005 28,039 20,836 7,184 74.3 1,381 4.7 
			 December 2005 28,134 20,868 7,249 74.3 1,436 4.9 
			 (1)Includes people who did not state whether they worked full-time or part-time.  Note: Estimates are subject to sampling variability. Changes in the estimates from year to year should be treated with particular caution.  Source: Annual local area Labour Force Survey: Annual Population .Survey

Enterprise Development Fund

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many businesses have  (a) requested and  (b) received assistance from the enterprise development fund in each year since 1999.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	An accurate assessment of the number of businesses that have requested assistance from the enterprise fund in each year since 1999 could only be determined at disproportionate cost.
	The number of businesses that have received finance as a result of programmes supported by the enterprise fund in each year since 1999 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Number of businesses 
			 1999-2000 4,279 
			 2000-01 4,312 
			 2001-02 4,350 
			 2002-03 3,992 
			 2003-04 6,100 
			 2004-05 7,270 
			 2005-06 6,109 
			 Total 36,412

Enterprise Development Fund

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was allocated to the enterprise development fund in each year since 1999; how much has been awarded from the fund in each such year; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	There is no enterprise development fund in DTI/SBS.
	Following a review of SME finance markets, The enterprise fund (not the enterprise development fund) was created in 1999. This was designed to improve access to equity investment support, for SMEs with growth potential, and to improve the small firms loan guarantee.
	The following table sets out Government's total investment in SME equity programmes.
	
		
			   
			   Allocated (committed)  Awarded (drawn down) 
			 1999-000   
			 2000-01 20,000,000 20,000,000 
			 2001-02 37,375,000 2,100,000 
			 2002-03 59,650,000 11,889,329 
			 2003-04 23,875,000 28,367,661 
			 2004-05 5,000,000 31,123,908 
			 2005-06 - 22,898,829 
			 Total 145,900,000 116,379,727 
		
	
	Allocated is the total amount of money committed for investment by Government, and Awarded is the total amount of funds drawn down against these commitments.
	Venture Capital (VC) funds have an investment period of between five to six years. On signing the Limited Partnership Agreement with each investor, the Fund will typically draw down 10 per cent of each investor's total commitment in the first instance and access further moneys as and when they are requested. Typically VC funds will not make their first investment until several months following the Funds' launch. Investment levels tend to peak in years three to four.
	The number of loans guaranteed, their value and that of the demands made against the guarantee in each year since 1999 are set out in the following table.
	
		
			   Loans guaranteed  Value of loans ( million)  Value of demands ( million) 
			 1999-2000 4279 206.00 38.95 
			 2000-01 4312 240.46 34.43 
			 2001-02 4269 254.70 44.93 
			 2002-03 3916 269.00 50.00 
			 2003-04 5966 409.30 52.68 
			 2004-05 7130 481.30 57.42 
			 2005-06 5957 422.10 76.10 
			 Total 35,829 2,282.86 354.51

Family Helpline

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what costs have been incurred in each year in operating the Treasury's family helpline; and how many calls it received in each of the last 12 months for which information is available.

John Healey: The Family Solutions Helpline (FLS) was introduced in 2003 for three years only and will not be continued after December 2006 when the contract ends.
	The FLS formed a part of the Treasury's work-life-balance policy supporting all employees especially those with childcare and elder care responsibilities. The helpline is administered by an external company and provides confidential advice. Information relating to the costs of the FLS is commercially confidential.
	The FLS received 19 calls in 2003-04, five calls in 2005 and has not received any calls up to June 2006.

Financial Inclusion

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact of cash machines charging consumers for transactions on progress towards financial inclusion.

Edward Balls: The Financial Inclusion Task Force has commissioned research into how the financially excluded and others access cash and other financial services. Among other things, this work will identify the extent to which charging ATMs are being used by the financially excluded. The results of this work will be published in due course.

Financial Services Authority

Michael Spicer: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will take steps to change the arrangements whereby costs are awarded in cases where financial advisers win their appeals to the Financial Services and Markets Tribunal against decisions made by the Financial Services Authority.

Edward Balls: There are no plans to change these costs arrangements at the present time.

Financial Services Authority

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Financial Services Authority spent on hospitality  (a) between 1997 and 2004 and  (b) in 2005.

Edward Balls: This is an operational matter for the FSA. The Chairman of the FSA will write to the hon. Member directly.

Financial Services Authority

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with the Financial Services Authority on its hospitality costs.

Edward Balls: None. This is an operational matter for the Financial Services Authority.

Financial Services Authority

Gregory Barker: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what plans he has to reform the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what recent discussions he has had with Cabinet members regarding reform of the Financial Services Authority; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The effectiveness of the regulatory regime for financial services was considered by the Treasury's Two-Year Review of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (FSMA), the outcome of which was announced on 2 December 2004, and concluded that the framework established by FSMA is a resounding success.

Fuel Crime

Iris Robinson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what measures are being taken to tackle the  (a) laundering and  (b) smuggling of fuel in Northern Ireland; what estimate he has made of the cost of such activity to the local economy; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The UK oils strategy, announced in 2001, introduced a number of measures designed to tackle all types of oils fraud including laundering and smuggling. These measures included the introduction of the registered dealers in controlled oils scheme, enhanced law enforcement activity and the creation of a specialist intelligence function. Further details on the UK oils strategy can be found on the HMRC website www.hmrc.gov.uk.
	Oils fraud forms a profitable criminal enterprise in Northern Ireland, with the proceeds often used to fund other forms of serious crime. It undermines legitimate fuel retailers, and has a debilitating effect on respect for the law by encouraging members of the public into participating in an illicit activity. The latest estimates of revenue loss in the hydrocarbon oils sector are published in Measuring Indirect Tax Loss-2005, which was published alongside the PBR. All estimates for Northern Ireland relate to total non-UK duty paid consumption rather than the illicit market. This is because it is not yet possible to split revenue losses between those resulting from the illicit market and those from legitimate cross-border shopping.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what input  (a) his Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report, Reducing Administrative Burdens: Effective Inspection and Enforcement.

Stephen Timms: Philip Hampton and his review team carried out various consultations with key stakeholders including various Government Departments, agencies and associated non-departmental public bodies, through a series of meetings, seminars, focus groups, business case studies and in-depth studies. Those Government Departments that participated fully co-operated with the review and are listed in the final report which can be viewed at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov. uk./media/A63/EF/ bud05hamptonv1.pdf

Household Finance

Philip Hammond: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what information he has collated on household savings ratios, broken down by  (a) household type and  (b) band of income, for each year since 1997.

John Healey: The information falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question on households saving ratio. (90454)
	We are unable to provide households saving ratios, broken down by household type or band of income. The following table shows the households saving ratio for the whole of the UK.
	
		
			   Households saving ratio 
			 1997 9.5 
			 1998 7.0 
			 1999 5.3 
			 2000 5.1 
			 2001 6.4 
			 2002 5.0 
			 2003 4.9 
			 2004 3.7 
			 2005 4.8 
			  Note: When using Table A40 of United Kingdom Economic Accounts (weblink given below) the database identifier is NRJS. 
		
	
	The estimates of the households saving ratio are national accounts series for the combined household and non-profit institutions serving households (NPISH) sectors. Estimates for households alone are not available. NPISHs are legal entities which are principally engaged in the production of non-market services for households and whose main resources are voluntary contributions by households. Examples of NPISHs are: charities; relief and aid organisations; educational establishments: trade unions; professional associations, political parties and religious organisations, and sports clubs and associations.
	Further data are available from table A40 in United Kingdom Economic Accounts which is available at the following address: http://statistics.gov.uk/StatBase/Product.asp?vlnk=1904Pos=ColRank=1Rank=422

Immigrants (Geographic Dispersal)

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what statistics are available on the geographic dispersal of immigrants who are of ethnic Kurdish origin in the UK between 2000 and 2005.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking what statistics are available on the geographic dispersal of immigrants who are of ethnic Kurdish origin in the UK between 2000 and 2005. (91572)
	The most recent data was collected on both country of birth and ethnic origin in the 2001 Census. A person born outside of the UK can be said to have migrated to the UK at some point in their life but it should be noted that the 'Country of Birth' variable gives neither an indication of the nationality of the respondent (in 2001 or at the time of their birth) nor any information on when that person travelled to the UK.
	The 2001 Census ethnic group question did not contain a separate tick-box response category for 'Kurdish', therefore the count is based on those who wrote in 'Kurd' or 'Kurdish' in the space provided for other ethnic groups. It may underestimate the total Kurdish population, because questions requiring a written response are more likely to be left blank than those with a tick-box.
	Specially commissioned table C0741 has been run to identify the number of people who identified themselves as being of Kurdish ethnic origin who were born inside and outside of the UK. The results have been reproduced below for convenience and can also be obtained via a request to Census.customerservices@ons.gsi.gov.uk
	
		
			  UK 
			   Kurdish 
			  Area  All Kurdish  Born inside the UK  Born outside the UK 
			 UK 12,405 1,564 10,841 
			 England 11,894 1,521 10,373 
			 North East GOR 158 0 158 
			 North West GOR 398 51 347 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber GOR 341 17 324 
			 East Midlands GOR 146 11 135 
			 West Midlands GOR 454 14 440 
			 East GOR 407 28 379 
			 London GOR 9,413 1,338 8,075 
			 South East GOR 422 42 380 
			 South West GOR 155 20 135 
			 Wales 115 18 97 
			 Scotland 379 25 354 
			 Northern Ireland 17 0 17 
			  Source: 2001 Census: Table C0741.

Immigrants (Geographic Dispersal)

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of ethnic Kurdish origin live in  (a) Greater London,  (b) Manchester,  (c) Birmingham and  (d) Glasgow.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people of ethnic Kurdish origin live in (a) Greater London, (b) Manchester, (c) Birmingham and (d) Glasgow. (91573)
	The most recent data available on people who identify themselves as Kurdish is from the 2001 Census. The ethnic group question did not contain a separate tick-box response category for 'Kurdish', therefore the count is based on those who wrote in 'Kurd' or 'Kurdish' in the space provided for other ethnic groups. It may underestimate the total Kurdish population, because questions requiring a written response are more likely to be left blank than those with a tick-box.
	Specially commissioned table C0742 has been run to identify the number of people who identified themselves as being of Kurdish ethnic origin in (a) London GOR, (b) Manchester LAD, (c) Birmingham LAD and (d) Glasgow city. The results have been reproduced below for convenience and can also be obtained via a request to Census.customerservices@ons.gsi.gov.uk
	
		
			  Great Britain 
			  Area  All Kurdish 
			 London GOR 9,413 
			 Manchester LAD 156 
			 Birmingham LAD 206 
			 Glasgow City 298 
			  Source: 2001 Census: Table C0742.

Immigrants (Geographic Dispersal)

Roger Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many people of  (a) black Caribbean,  (b) black African,  (c) Indian,  (d) Pakistani,  (e) Bangladeshi and  (f) Chinese ethnic origin live in rural areas in England and Wales.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician and Registrar General for England and Wales, I have been asked to reply to your recent question asking how many people of (a) black Carribbean, (b) black African, (c) Indian, (d) Pakistani, (e) Bangladeshi and (f) Chinese ethnic origin live in rural areas in England and Wales. (91621)
	Figures on urban and rural areas are only available for 2001, Census year. In England and Wales urban areas are defined by Department of Communities and Local Government's (DCLG) as settlements with a usually resident population of 10,000 or more people. Rural areas are not specifically defined but the remainder i.e. those people who live either in settlements of under 10,000 people or do not live in a settlement are generally considered to live in a rural area. The table below has been presented on this basis.
	The figures have been extracted from Table KS06 on the CD supplement to the Census 2001 Rural and Urban Classification 2004, which is available on request from the Office for National Statistics Census Customer Services [census.customerservices@ons.gsi.gov.uk].
	
		
			  England and Wales 
			   All people living outside settlements of 10,000 people or more 
			   Asian or Asian British  Black or Black British  Chinese or other ethnic group 
			  Area  Indian  Pakistani  Bangladeshi  Black Caribbean  Black African  Chinese 
			 England and Wales 23,692 7,508 3,119 9,008 7,227 16,795 
			  Note: In England and Wales, settlements with 10,000 or more people are defined as urban and settlements with less than 10,000 people are defined as rural.  Source: Table KS06 in the Census 2001 Rural and Urban Classification 2004.

Information Technology Projects

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which information technology projects are being undertaken by his Department and its agencies; what the  (a) start date,  (b) original planned completion date,  (c) current expected completion date,  (d) planned cost and  (e) current estimated cost is of each; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The information requested has been deposited in the Library of the House.

International Monetary Fund

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the impact on UK interests of  (a) Mexico,  (b) Turkey,  (c) China and  (d) South Korea receiving increased voting rights within the International Monetary Fund.

Edward Balls: The UK strongly believes that a more effective IMF serves both our national interest and the global good and welcomes the programme of governance reform agreed by Governors of the IMF on 19 September. The increased voting shares of China, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey recognise the changing weight of these economies in the global economy and are an important first step in strengthening the legitimacy, and hence effectiveness, of the IMF. The readiness of other members to accept offsetting reductions in their voting shares demonstrates the shared commitment to this goal. The UK's voting share will fall from 4.93 per cent. to 4.85 per cent.

International Monetary Fund

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he plans to make representations to European governments arguing that  (a) Mexico,  (b) Turkey,  (c) China and  (d) South Korea should receive increased voting rights within the International Monetary Fund; and what assessment he has made of the impact of increasing the voting rights for these countries on the operation of the Fund.

Edward Balls: All EU member states supported the recent agreement to increase the voting shares of China, South Korea, Mexico and Turkey. This is an important first step in a programme of reform to strengthen the legitimacy, and hence effectiveness, of the IMF.
	The UK strongly believes that a more effective IMF serves both our national interest and the global good.
	These reforms to IMF governance have been, and will continue to be, discussed at meetings of European Finance Ministers.

Iraq

Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will answer question 80993, on British soldiers injured in Iraq, tabled by the hon. Member for Forest of Dean on 27 June 2006.

John Healey: The Chancellor of the Exchequer answered the hon. Member's question on 25 July,  Official Report, column 1375W.

IT Contracts

Michael Weir: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer which IT contracts awarded by his Department in each of the last five years have been abandoned; and what the value was in each case.

John Healey: No IT contracts awarded by HM Treasury since 2003 have been abandoned. Information prior to 2003 could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 3 July 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mr. Junior Llewellyn Francis.

Dawn Primarolo: I replied to the right hon. Member on 13 September.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he will reply to the letter of 3 July 2006 from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Mrs. D. Levy.

Dawn Primarolo: I have replied to the right hon. Member.

Land Value Tax

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment  (a) his Department,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Valuation Office Agency has made of the likely effects of introducing a land value tax.

John Healey: The Government keep all taxes under review. In addition, Sir Michael Lyons is considering reforms to council tax and business rates, and is including the merits of a land value tax amongst the options for future taxation of land and property. Sir Michael is due to report in time to inform the comprehensive spending review.

Landfill Tax

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much the Government received in landfill tax collected from local authorities in the most recent year for which figures are available.

John Healey: It is not possible using landfill tax receipts data to determine how much revenue is received from local authorities. This is because registered landfill site operators pay the tax to HM Revenue and Customs and pass on the cost to their customers through the disposal charges they set. The origin of the landfill waste is not recorded on the tax return.

Local Government Finance

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what support, advice and assistance representatives from  (a) his Department,  (b) HM Revenue and Customs and  (c) the Valuation Office Agency have provided to the Scottish Local Government Finance Review Committee.

John Healey: Officials from HM Treasury and HM Revenue and Customs have met with members of the Scottish Local Government Finance Review Committee and its secretariat to provide factual briefings on the operation and delivery of the UK tax system.

Manufacturing Employment

Michael Weir: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the level of manufacturing employment was in  (a) 1979,  (b) 1997,  (c) 1999,  (d) 2004 and  (e) 2005.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the national statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about the level of employment in manufacturing. (89602)
	The available statistics for the UK manufacturing industry are shown in the table below.
	
		
			  Workforce jobs in the UK manufacturing industry, June each year 
			   Thousand 
			 1979 7,094 
			 1997 4,514 
			 1999 4,372 
			 2004 3,545 
			 2005 3,383 
			  Note: Figures are seasonally adjusted. 
		
	
	These estimates are based on sample surveys and are therefore subject to a margin of uncertainty.

Ministerial Collaboration

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of collaboration between his Department and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit on  (a) the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007 and  (b) future public services reform; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: Her Majesty's Treasury and the Prime Minister's Delivery Unit are co-located in Horse Guards Road and work in close collaboration on many aspects of public service delivery.

Ministerial Meetings

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer when he last met the  (a) Scottish First Minister and  (b) Scottish Finance Minister; and what subjects were discussed at each meeting.

John Healey: Treasury Ministers and officials have meetings with a wide variety of organisations in the public and private sectors as part of the process of policy development and delivery. As was the case with previous Administrations, it is not the Government's practice to provide details of all such meetings.

Ministerial Travel

Mark Hoban: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much he spent on travel within the United Kingdom in each year since 1997; and how much was accounted for by  (a) road travel,  (b) rail travel and  (c) air travel in each year.

John Healey: The accounting system does not record domestic travel costs for individuals by mode. Costs could be disaggregated only at disproportionate cost.

Missing Trader Intra-Community Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent discussions he has had with EU finance ministers on tackling Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud; what proposals he has put to the EU on measures to tackle MTIC; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The Government are committed to working with our European partners to combat Missing Trader Intra-Community (MTIC) fraud across the EU.
	The Chancellor attended ECOFIN in June, at which the European Commission's Communication on tax fraud was discussed. The conclusions reached by the Council are set out in an Explanatory Memorandum submitted to the House by HM Treasury on 20 June (Communication from the Commission to the Council and European Parliament concerning the need to develop a co-ordinated strategy to improve the fight against fiscal fraud).
	In order to strengthen further the Government's strategy to combat VAT fraud, the Government announced on 26 January 2006 that it had written to the European Commission for a derogation to introduce a change in the VAT accounting procedure for certain goods. The request is progressing well through the EU process. There is no fixed timescale for that process but HMRC has recently advised businesses that, based on current progress with the derogation, it expects to introduce the accounting change on 1 December 2006. Finance Act 2006 includes an enabling clause for the introduction of the change.

Mortality Rates

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the mortality rate among  (a) men and  (b) women has been in each year since 1976, broken down by socio-economic group.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 9 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent question asking what the mortality rate amongst a) men and b) women has been in each year since 1976, broken down by socio-economic group. I am replying in her absence. (92032)
	Before 2001 ONS reported on socio-economic variations in mortality using the Registrar General's social class classification (based on occupation of the deceased). Mortality rates by social class have been published by ONS using data from annual death registrations, and population figures from the decennial census. As populations by social class are only available every ten years, mortality rates based on them cannot be calculated every year. Rates for the periods 1970-1972, 1979-1983 and 1991-1993, were published in a table in the ONS Decennial Supplement, Health Inequalities, which is shown in the attached table.
	Rates are reported only for men, as over half of deaths of women could not be classified to a social class using their own occupation. As the rates are based on occupations recorded in two different data sources (at death registration and in the census) there was also the potential that differences between the two could affect the results. This potential 'numerator/denominator bias' has been limited by restricting analysis to men aged 20-64.
	From 2001 onwards the National Statistics Socio-Economic Classification (NS-SEC) has replaced social class as the classification used by ONS to routinely report socio-economic status. NS-SEC was also used to code results from the 2001 Census. ONS has not yet published mortality rates by NS-SEC.
	
		
			  European standardised mortality rate by social class, men aged 20 to 64, all causes, England and Wales 
			   Death rates per 100,000 population 
			   Social class  1970-72  1979-83( 1)  1991-93 
			 I Professional 500 373 280 
			 II Managerial and Technical 526 425 300 
			 IIIN Skilled (non-manual) 637 522 426 
			 IIIM Skilled (manual) 683 580 493 
			 IV Partly skilled 721 639 492 
			 V Unskilled 897 910 806 
			  England and Wales 624 549 419 
			 (1) Excludes deaths in 1981 as the industrial dispute involving Registrars of Births, Deaths and Marriages in England and Wales produced occupation details of uncertain quality.  Source: Table 8.5, Health Inequalities, Decennial Supplement No 15, Drever F and Whitehead M (1997) The Stationery Office, London

National Insurance

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, pursuant to the answer of 30 March 2006,  Official Report, column 114W, on national insurance, how many of the 35,000 numbers issued to claimants of tax credits have been checked for fraud.

Dawn Primarolo: All claims for tax credits are subject to a risk assessment process which looks at the features of a claim against known risks of error and fraud.

New Enterprise Funds

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many of the business loans and management scholarships have been allocated from the new enterprise funds in each year since 2000.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of scholarships that have been allocated in respect of the new entrepreneur scholarship programme in each of the financial years since the programme commenced is as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 2001-02 75 
			 2002-03 296 
			 2003-04 1,173 
			 2004-05 995 
			 2005-06 1,034 
			 2006-07 1,610 
		
	
	In respect of Community Development Finance Institutions (CDFIs), 16 CDFIs allocated 1,180 loans between 2000 and 2003, 31 CDFIs allocated 1,632 loans between 2002 and 2005; and 55 CDFIs allocated 1,678 loans between 2003 and 2006. Funds are managed over a three year term and to provide an annual breakdown would be at disproportionate cost.

New Enterprise Funds

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much was spent on the two new enterprise funds announced in the 2000 Budget for business loans and management scholarships for high unemployment areas in each year since their inception; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	The amount allocated by the Learning and Skills Council since the inception of the new entrepreneur scholarship programme for delivering the scholarships is given in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 2001-02 2 
			 2002-03 4 
			 2003-04 6 
			 2004-05 5 
			 2005-06 5 
			 2006-07 7 
		
	
	The amount allocated by DTI to Community Development Finance Institutions for business loans is given in the following table.
	
		
			million 
			 2000-01 3.5 
			 2001-02 10.9 
			 2003-04 17.4

Office for Government Commerce

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what factors were taken into account in deciding that other Government Departments would have access to the retained solicitors of the Office for Government Commerce without this arrangement being subject to competitive tendering; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: Core legal services are provided to OGC by an in-house team of Government lawyers, they have no other clients.
	A framework agreement for the provision of Information and Communications Technology and commercial (non-core) legal services to OGC and its customer organisations was concluded with DLA in May 2003. This contract was awarded following a competition that complied with the EU public procurement regime. The terms of the competition were such that the contract would include advice to other government organisations.
	No new work has been placed under this agreement since December 2005.

Oil Prices

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to his answer of 19 July 2006,  Official Report, column 521W, on oil prices 
	(1)  what effects his Department's econometric model predicts of a sustained $10 per barrel rise in the world oil price caused by supply constraints or disruption in each of the five subsequent years compared with a base forecast on  (a) gross domestic products (GDP),  (b) GDP growth,  (c) consumer price inflation,  (d) the unemployment rate,  (e) the employment rate,  (f) Government borrowing as a percentage of GDP,  (g) policy interest rates,  (h) balance of trade as a percentage of GDP,  (i) the current account of the balance of payments as a percentage of GDP,  (j) public debt at end year as a percentage of GDP,  (k) the effective exchange rate and  (l) the real effective exchange rate; and what other economic assumptions are made in each case;
	(2)  what effects his Department's econometric model predicts of a sustained $10 per barrel rise in the world oil price caused by demand pressures in each of the five subsequent years compared with a base forecast on  (a) gross domestic products (GDP),  (b) GDP growth,  (c) consumer price inflation,  (d) the unemployment rate,  (e) the employment rate,  (f) Government borrowing as a percentage of GDP,  (g) policy interest rates,  (h) balance of trade as a percentage of GDP,  (i) the current account of the balance of payments as a percentage of GDP,  (j) public debt at end year as a percentage of GDP,  (k) the effective exchange rate and  (l) the real effective exchange rate; and what other economic assumptions are made in each case.

John Healey: To estimate the effects of a sustained $10 per barrel rise in the world oil price would require a wide range of additional auxiliary assumptions to be specified such as, for example, the response of fiscal and monetary policy makers and any movements in the sterling exchange rate.
	Therefore, the Treasury does not run simulations on its macro-economic model in response to parliamentary questions on grounds of disproportionate cost associated with such a wide range of assumptions needed in order to specify simulation design.

Outsourced Administration

David Gauke: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what administrative functions for which his Department is responsible are outsourced overseas; and what assessment he has made of the merits of outsourcing further such functions overseas.

John Healey: No administrative functions for which HM Treasury are responsible are outsourced overseas.

Overpayments

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date the reasonable belief test in relation to writing off overpayments was introduced into HM Revenue and Customs' code of practice on overpayments; how this test will be applied; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC's policy on dealing with overpayments, including those caused by their mistake, is set out in their Code of PracticeCOP 26What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit? The policy has been set out in every edition of the Code.

Pensions

Anne McIntosh: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has plans to compensate those who pay voluntary class 3 National Insurance contributions under the present system if the proposed Pensions Reform Bill is passed in its present form and additional contributions paid prove unnecessary.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 13 September 2006
	The National Insurance system operates on a pay-as-you-go basis with the National Insurance Contributions that people pay funding payments to those currently in receipt of contributory benefits and helping to fund the NHS. Work is ongoing on the detailed implementation of the Pensions White Paper.
	The Government intend to bring forward legislation on Pensions Reform during the second session of this Parliament.

Pensions

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what account is taken of pension deficits in the financial model for economic growth.

Edward Balls: The Treasury macroeconomic model is principally a model of the economic activity described and recorded in the National Accounts. As such it does not explicitly include pension deficits that are defined by accounting standards e.g. FRS17. However, in preparing the Pre-Budget Report and Budget forecasts careful consideration is given to the possible economic implications of pension fund deficits for corporate and household behaviour.

Pensions

Philip Hammond: To ask Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of how a restriction in tax relief on pension contributions to the basic rate would affect defined benefit pension schemes.

Edward Balls: No such analysis has been carried out.

Planning Gain Supplement

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether there will be a redistribution mechanism to transfer revenue from planning gain supplement  (a) between local authorities within the Government office region in which the development is located and  (b) to local or regional authorities in different Government office regions in which the development is located.

John Healey: The Government stated at Budget 2006 that it will ensure that a significant majority of planning gain supplement (PGS) revenues are retained for infrastructure priorities within the local authority area where the revenues derived. The remainder would be dedicated to strategic infrastructure of regional importance. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.

Planning Gain Supplement

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether planning gain supplement will be levied at the same rates on  (a) residential and non-residential development and  (b) brownfield and greenfield land; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: The Government have proposed that planning gain supplement (PGS) be applied at the same rate on residential and non-residential development.
	The Government consulted on the possibility of a lower rate for brownfield land, and will make further announcements on PGS by the end of the year.

Planning Gain Supplement

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of whether local councils in which a development is located will receive an increase in net aggregate revenue once planning gain supplement is introduced and existing Section 106 agreements are curtailed.

John Healey: The Government have stated that a significant majority of planning gain supplement (PGS) revenues would be retained within the local area where the revenues are derived. How much each community receives will depend on the level of development in their area that is subject to the planning gain supplement. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.

Planning Gain Supplement

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether planning gain supplement will be classified as a tax by  (a) HM Treasury and  (b) the Office for National Statistics.

John Healey: The Government published a consultation on their proposals for planning gain supplement (PGS) alongside the 2005 Pre Budget Report. The Office of National Statistics have yet to take a view on the classification of PGS.

Planning Gain Supplement

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether revenue from planning gain supplement will be  (a) ring-fenced and  (b) hypothecated.

John Healey: As set out in Budget 2006, planning gain supplement (PGS) revenues would be hypothecated for local infrastructure priorities and strategic infrastructure of regional importance. The Government have stated that a significant majority of PGS revenues will be retained within the local area where the revenues derived.

Planning Gain Supplement

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether it is his intention for it to be permissible for planning gain supplement revenues to be spent on infrastructure that is not allowed under section 106 agreements.

John Healey: Planning gain supplement (PGS) revenues would be dedicated to financing additional investment in local and strategic infrastructure necessary to support growth. Further announcements on PGS will be made by the end of the year.

Planning Gain Supplement

Michael Gove: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer pursuant to the answer of 16 March 2006,  Official Report, column 2417W, to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), on planning gain supplement, if he will place in the Library copies of the responses to the consultation.

John Healey: The Government will publish copies of the responses to the consultation alongside the summary of responses in due course. Further announcements on PGS implementation will be made by the end of the year.

Police Force Amalgamations

Theresa Villiers: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the Home Office has reported to the Office of Government Commerce (OGC) as the impact on its ability to deliver the 1,060 million Gershon efficiency savings by the police of the change in the position relating to police force amalgamations; what alternative efficiency savings have been proposed to the OGC by the Home Office to replace the savings expected to be made; and if he will make a statement on the Home Office's latest reports of progress towards achieving the total efficiency savings by the police.

Stephen Timms: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given by the Minister of State, Home Office on 15 August, printed on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1882W.

Private Finance Initiative

Andrew Tyrie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what total amount has been spent on Private Finance Initiative projects postponed pending further consideration or stopped in the last 12 months.

John Healey: Aggregated information is not held centrally. Individual Departments may be able to provide data relating to their own PFI programmes.

Private Finance Initiative

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he plans to take to close loopholes permitting private finance initiative (PFI) contract holders legally to avoid paying taxes on PFI contracts.

John Healey: All PFI companies are contractually committed to deliver their service subject to the UK tax regime.
	Government's policy in this area .is set out in the Dear Accounting Officer letter of 22 May 2003 issued to all government departments regarding Tax Planning and Tax Avoidance.
	The full letter is available on the Treasury website at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk

Public Expenditure

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what percentage of gross domestic product, public expenditure represented in each year since 1996 in  (a) the UK,  (b) England,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland,  (e) Northern Ireland and  (f) each Government office region.

Stephen Timms: Information on total identifiable expenditure for each region of England and for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland is set out in the HM Treasury publication, Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) 2006, May 2006. This provides outturn data from 2000-01 to 2004-05. Previous editions of PESA provide outturn data for years prior to 2000-01. Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses 2002-03, May 2002, provides outturn data from 1996-97.
	The Office for National Statistics provides data on gross value added (GVA), the Government's preferred measure of regional economic output, for each region and country of the UK on its website at http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_economy/NUTS1_Tables_1-8.xs.

Public Sector Employment

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many and what proportion of all those in employment were employed by the public sector in each year since 1996 in  (a) the UK,  (b) England,  (c) Wales,  (d) Scotland,  (e) Northern Ireland and  (f) each Government Office region.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your Parliamentary Question about public sector employment by country and region. (89403)
	The available estimates, which are annual averages of quarterly figures, are shown in the attached table. Figures by region are not available earlier than 1999.
	These estimates are based on returns from public sector organisations, combined with approximate breakdowns from the Labour Force Survey for Wales and the English regions. As these figures are partly based on sample surveys, they are subject to a margin of uncertainty.
	
		
			  Public sector employment by region and country of workplace; headcount 
			   North East  North West  Yorks and Humber  East Midlands  East  London  South East 
			  Public sector employment level (thousand) 
			 1999 238 593 440 321 435 413 710 
			 2000 230 641 460 316 428 428 675 
			 2001 244 663 439 319 448 430 706 
			 2002 252 661 459 330 466 440 724 
			 2003 252 680 496 340 467 468 711 
			 2004 262 675 496 368 476 487 739 
			 2005 260 683 492 360 495 470 751 
			  Public sector employment as a percentage of all in employment 
			 1999 23 20 20 17 18 17 19 
			 2000 22 21 20 17 18 17 18 
			 2001 24 22 19 17 18 17 18 
			 2002 24 21 20 17 19 17 19 
			 2003 23 22 21 17 19 18 18 
			 2004 24 21 21 19 19 19 19 
			 2005 24 21 21 18 20 18 19 
		
	
	
		
			   South East  South West  England  Wales  Scotland  Northern Ireland  United Kingdom 
			  Public sector employment level (thousand) 
			 1999 629 427 4,205 286 529 197 5,218 
			 2000 638 451 4,266 297 532 200 5,295 
			 2001 643 456 4,349 295 536 202 5,383 
			 2002 644 472 4,448 304 545 206 5,503 
			 2003 670 486 4,571 316 558 212 5,656 
			 2004 696 483 4,682 303 571 216 5,772 
			 2005 706 521 4,738 304 581 219 5,842 
			  Public sector employment as a percentage of all in employment 
			 1999 16 18 18 24 23 29 19 
			 2000 16 19 18 24 22 29 19 
			 2001 17 19 19 25 23 29 19 
			 2002 16 19 19 25 23 29 20 
			 2003 17 20 19 24 23 29 20 
			 2004 18 20 20 23 23 30 20 
			 2005 18 21 20 23 24 29 20

Red Diesel

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer whether he has made a request to the European Commission asking for an extension of the derogation from the EU Directive 2003/96/EC concerning red diesel; and if he plans to do so.

John Healey: I refer the hon. Member to my reply of 13 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2340W, to the hon. Member for Stroud (Mr. Drew).

Residential Property

David Drew: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of the merits of a flat rate tax on the value of residential property.

John Healey: The Government keep all taxes under review. In addition, Sir Michael Lyons is considering the merits of reforms to council tax. Sir Michael is due to report in time to inform the comprehensive spending review.

Spatial Data

Greg Hands: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what research  (a) his Department and  (b) the Office for National Statistics has undertaken in relation to developing (i) a national property database and (ii) a national spatial data infrastructure.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent question concerning what research has been undertaken in relation to developing (i) a national property database and (ii) a national spatial data infrastructure. 89404
	Neither HM Treasury nor the Office for National Statistics (ONS) has undertaken research into developing a national property database or a national spatial address infrastructure.
	Currently two national address gazetteers are available. One has been developed by Ordnance Survey and forms part of their MasterMap product (and is referred to as 'Address Layer 2'); the other is the National Land and Property Gazetteer developed by the Improvement and Development Agency.
	ONS is beginning to conduct research into the suitability of the two products as an address source in the preparation and undertaking of the 2007 Census Test.

Student Loan Company

James McGovern: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how regularly moneys collected on behalf of the Student Loan Company (SLC) by the Inland Revenue are passed onto the SLC; and how soon after moneys are collected by the Inland Revenue those sums start counting against each individual's SLC balance.

Dawn Primarolo: HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) does not make payments to the Student Loans Company (SLC). Employers deduct student loans repayments from earnings exceeding 15,000 during the year and send these to HMRC who make payments to the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) every quarter. Borrowers get credit for repayments at the date they were made and no additional interest is charged as SLC credits their accounts retrospectively to the tax year in which deductions were made from their earnings.

Tax Credit Fraud

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer which cases where successful prosecutions of tax credit fraud have been achieved involved the greatest  (a) value of fraud,  (b) number of identities used and  (c) size of criminal gang.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many  (a) automated and  (b) manual tax credit payments have been made in each month since April 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many interim payments of tax credits have been made in each  (a) month and  (b) quarter since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The approximate numbers of automated tax credits payments made in each month since April 2003 are given in the following table.
	
		
			  Month/year  Number of automated payments (Thousand) 
			 April 2003 8,500 
			 May 2003 9,000 
			 June 2003 9,650 
			 July 2003 11,250 
			 August 2003 10,450 
			 September 2003 11,050 
			 October 2003 11,700 
			 November 2003 10,250 
			 December 2003 13,000 
			 January 2004 10,400 
			 February 2004 10,400 
			 March 2004 12,450 
			 April 2004 12,650 
			 May 2004 13,350 
			 June 2004 13,650 
			 July 2004 13,750 
			 August 2004 12,450 
			 September 2004 12,950 
			 October 2004 12,250 
			 November 2004 12,150 
			 December 2004 14,350 
			 January 2005 10,600 
			 February 2005 11,450 
			 March 2005 13,800 
			 April 2005 14,250 
			 May 2005 14,100 
			 June 2005 14,900 
			 July 2005 14,150 
			 August 2005 14,100 
			 September 2005 14,100 
			 October 2005 12,950 
			 November 2005 13,200 
			 December 2005 15,300 
			 January 2006 12,500 
			 February 2006 12,800 
			 March 2006 14,700 
			 April 2006 13,950 
			 May 2006 16,600 
		
	
	For the numbers of manual, including interim, payments made since April 2003, I refer the hon. Member to the answers I gave him on 29 November 2005,  Official Report, columns 343-44W and 5 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 188-89W.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer why tax credit payments are not made when the award falls below the payment threshold; and why these payments are not carried over to awards in future years.

Dawn Primarolo: Tax Credit regulations confirm that tax credits will not be paid where the award is less than 26 a year. This is because it is administratively disproportionate to pay such small sums.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to eliminate opportunities for fraud created by the tax credits 25,000 income disregard; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC takes fraud very seriously and has a range of checks in place throughout the life of each claim. If fraud is suspected, payment is stopped. It would be inappropriate to give specific details as this could aid those seeking to gain through fraud.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a pause before recovery of overpaid tax credits.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer to the comments made by my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary on 7 June 2006,  Official Report, column 293 and to my own of the same date,  Official Report, column 326-27.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has to introduce a statutory right of appeal for tax credit overpayments.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Gentleman to what I said about appeals in the Opposition day debate on tax credits on 7 June 2006,  Official Report, column 327.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what plans he has  (a) to collect and  (b) to publish additional data on the performance of the tax credits system; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC publishes a wide range of statistics about tax credits on its website, reports and annual accounts. They keep this under review and will continue to consider publishing additional data on the tax credits system as appropriate.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what criteria for tax credit overpayment write-off were used  (a) before and  (b) after the streamlined procedure was introduced in spring 2005; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether the tax credit recipients who are challenging tax credit overpayments have been treated under different criteria since December 2004; what changes in criteria there have been; and if he will make a statement;
	(3)  for how long the streamlined procedure introduced in spring 2005 was used to clear the backlog of disputed tax credit overpayments; how many overpayments were written off under this procedure; what the value was; and if he will make a statement on how this procedure differs from that currently applied;
	(4)  how HM Revenue and Customs selected the criteria in relation to the streamlined procedure for clearing disputed tax credit overpayments introduced in spring 2005.

Dawn Primarolo: HMRC's policy on dealing with overpayments is set out in their Code of Practice - COP 26 - What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?
	Details of the streamlined procedures have been published in the Supplementary memorandum submitted by HM Revenue and Customs published in the Treasury Committee's report: The administration of tax credits: sixth report of session 2005-06: Volume 2 Oral and written evidence (page Ev193), House of Commons papers 811-11 2005-06.
	The procedures were applied between 1 April 2005 and 30 September 2005 and covered outstanding disputed overpayments for tax year 2003-04 and those for 2004-05 where the award had not been finalised . Around 139,000 disputed overpayments were remitted under the exercise at a value of around 156.8 million. HMRC's 2005-06 accounts were published on 11 July and gave the total amount of overpayments written off for 2003-04 and 2004-05. Amounts written off are included in the remissions figures for HMRC's accounts.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many cases of tax credits fraud have been investigated by HM Revenue and Customs' Special Compliance Office in each quarter since April 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: The following table shows how many cases of tax credits fraud have been registered for a criminal investigation in each quarter since April 2003.
	
		
			  Quarter ended  Number of cases 
			 June 2003 21 
			 September 2003 61 
			 December 2003 191 
			 March 2004 341 
			 June 2004 321 
			 September 2004 400 
			 December 2004 299 
			 March 2005 212 
			 September 2005 182 
			 December 2005 153 
			 March 2006 149

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer in how many cases investigations into tax credit fraud have been initiated after a letter had been sent to a tax credit claimant explaining that the money had been paid in error and was being written off.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested can be produced only at disproportionate cost.

Tax Credits

David Laws: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many letters have been received by  (a) Ministers and  (b) senior HM Revenue and Customs staff from tax credit office employees and compliance officers about the extent of tax credit fraud in the last 12 months; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: This information is not recorded.

Tax Credits

Anne Main: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many overpayment appeals in relation to tax credits were successful in each year since their creation; and if he will make a statement.

Dawn Primarolo: Customers have a right of appeal against decisions about their tax credit entitlement and are able to pursue with HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) any disagreement concerning the recovery of an overpayment.
	For the number of disputed tax credit overpayments Tax Credit Office (TCO) wrote off between May 2004 (when the Department began recording intake of disputed overpayment requests) and March 2006, I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 18 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 359-60W.

Tax Credits

Mark Francois: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the cost to public funds has been of research and development tax credit for large companies in each year since 2001.

John Healey: Research and development tax credits were extended to large companies in April 2002. I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to the hon. Member for Burnley (Kitty Ussher) of 8 December 2005,  Official Report, column 1454W, for the cost associated with claims received up to that point.
	Updated estimates of the cost of support claimed under the large company scheme will be included in the National Statistics published on the HMRC website in December 2006.

Tax Credits

Hywel Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many fraudulent claims for tax credits there were in each constituency in England and Wales in each of the last three years; and what the total of fraudulent claims represented as a percentage of tax credits paid in each year.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available by parliamentary constituency and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	Estimates of levels of error and fraud on finalised 2003-04 awards were published on 11 July 2006 at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/stats/personal-tax-credits/error-fraud.htm

Tax Credits

Frank Field: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many demands for repayments of alleged overpayments of tax credits have been cancelled due to the Treasury accepting that  (a) the overpayment was due to official error and  (b) recovery would cause hardship.

Dawn Primarolo: The information is as follows:
	 (a) HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) only seeks direct recovery of tax credits overpayments and issues notices to pay where an award has ended. HMRC does not separately record details of direct recovery cases where some or all of an overpayment has been written off due to official error according to the criteria set out in code of practice 26 What happens if we have paid you too much tax credit?.
	 (b) I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave the hon. Member for Yeovil (Mr. Laws) on 4 July 2006,  Official Report, column 998W.

Tax Credits

James Gray: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many tax credit forms were  (a) issued and  (b) printed in 2005; on how many occasions HM Revenue and Customs has informed applicants that there were no forms available; and what action a claimant should take if no forms are available.

Dawn Primarolo: The information requested is not available.

Tobacco

David Taylor: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of  (a) the amount in (i) weight and (ii) value of hand-rolled tobacco previously exported to the Benelux countries subsequently returning to the UK and  (b) the proportion which was smuggled in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(2)  if he will estimate the amount in  (a) weight and  (b) value of exports of hand-rolled tobacco from the United Kingdom to each of the Benelux countries in the most recent year for which figures are available;
	(3)  what estimate he has made of the  (a) weight and  (b) value of hand-rolled tobacco exported from the UK to each of the Benelux countries in the latest year for which figures are available.

John Healey: HM Revenue and Customs publish estimates of revenue loss from legal cross-border shopping activity and the total UK illicit market in hand-rolling tobacco. The latest estimates were published in Measuring Indirect Tax Losses  2005, published by HM Revenue and Customs in the pre-Budget report and is available from the House of Commons Library.

Tobacco

Sally Keeble: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what steps are being taken to tackle the smuggling of tobacco and tobacco products; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the revenue which has been lost to the Government through  (a) the smuggling and  (b) the counterfeiting of (i) tobacco and (ii) tobacco products in each of the last three years;
	(3)  how much he estimates will be recovered as a result of measures to combat the counterfeiting of tobacco and tobacco products in each of the next three years.

John Healey: The most recent HMRC estimate of the revenue lost to the UK Exchequer through the illicit trade in tobacco is for 2003-04. The latest estimates were published in Measuring Indirect Tax Losses2005 by HM Revenue and Customs in the pre-Budget report and is available from the House of Commons Library. The Government launched the original Tackling Tobacco Strategy in 2000 and successfully reduced the size of the illicit market by a quarter from 21 per cent. to 16 per cent in 2003-04. HMRC has a revised PSA target to reduce the illicit market to 13 per cent. by 2007-08.
	At Budget 2006 the Government published New Responses to New Challenges: Reinforcing the Tackling Tobacco Strategy and announced new measures designed to tackle HRT smuggling and counterfeit cigarettes. These new measures include working with the tobacco manufacturers and the introduction of supply chain control legislation. A copy of New Responses to New Challenges: Reinforcing the Tackling Tobacco Strategy can be found on the HMRC website www.hmrc.gsi.gov.uk. This included a new operational target for HMRC to reduce the illicit HRT market by 1,200 tonnes by 2007-08.

Unclaimed Assets

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate he has made of unclaimed  (a) dividends and shares and  (b) assets in (i) national savings accounts, (ii) bank and building society accounts and (iii) life insurance policies; and if he will make a statement.

Edward Balls: The Government and the industry have agreed that the definition of an unclaimed asset should generally cover bank and building society accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years as that will best identify those accounts that are genuinely unclaimed. On this basis, initial record searches by the industry suggest that several hundred million pounds may currently lie unclaimed.
	National Savings and Investments estimate the value of its unclaimed assets in savings accounts with no customer activity for 15 years to be 439.4 million.
	The Government have made no official estimate of the value of unclaimed assets held in life policies.
	The Government have also made no official estimate of the value of unclaimed share dividends or proceeds. This information is a matter between companies and their shareholders and is not held publicly.

Unclaimed Assets

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer to what use the Government intend to put unclaimed assets funds in the next 12 months.

Edward Balls: As set out in the PBR, the Government welcome the banking industry's commitment to establish a scheme to allow genuinely unclaimed assets to be reinvested in the community. The Government and industry have agreed that the definition of an unclaimed asset should generally cover bank and building society accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years as that will best identify those accounts that are genuinely unclaimed. The work on this scheme is ongoing.
	The Government do not hold these unclaimed assets and so do not distribute them.

Unclaimed Assets

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is held by the Government in unclaimed assets.

Edward Balls: The Government and industry have agreed that unclaimed assets should generally cover bank and building society accounts where there has been no customer activity for a period of 15 years as that will best identify those accounts that are genuinely unclaimed.
	The Government do not hold these unclaimed assets.

VAT Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what estimate the Chancellor has made of the expected loss of revenue from VAT fraud in  (a) 2005-06 and  (b) 2006-07.

Dawn Primarolo: holding answer 13 September 2006
	Estimates for the level of losses due to VAT fraud are not available. However, estimates of the VAT gap, which includes losses due to fraud and avoidance, are available in the paper Measuring and Tackling Tax Losses-2005, published in December 2005. A copy of this paper can be obtained from the House Library.

VAT Fraud

Vincent Cable: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  how many claims for VAT were withheld on the suspicion of Missing Trader Intra-Community fraud in each of the last 12 quarters for which information is available;
	(2)  what steps are being taken to counter VAT carousel fraud; and what mechanisms are being put in place to ensure that companies not under suspicion of fraud achieve prompt settlement of VAT repayment.

Dawn Primarolo: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave him on 2 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 1455-456W. HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) has committed significant additional resources to strengthen its strategy for tackling MTIC fraud, and there are now over 1400 staff engaged in that work.
	In recent months, the level of VAT repayment claims from those suspected of trading in supply chains associated with MTIC fraud has risen considerably without known economic or commercial reasons. It is therefore only right that HMRC continues to take all necessary and proportionate steps to protect the tax base and satisfy itself that these repayment claims are valid.
	HMRC does not hold the historic data necessary to answer this question and would incur disproportionate costs in producing such data.

Winter Fuel Allowance

Kate Hoey: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will increase the winter fuel allowance in line with fuel price increases.

John Healey: The Government have committed to winter fuel payments of 200 for households with someone aged 60 or over, and 300 for households with someone aged 80 or over, for the remainder of this Parliament.
	Tax and welfare policy is reviewed annually as part of the Budget process.

NORTHERN IRELAND

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Peter Hain: We cannot provide the information requested by the hon. Member. To identify the average hourly rate paid to employment agencies for staff for the Northern Ireland Office, excluding its agencies and NDPBS, would be at disproportionate cost.

Areas of Special Scientific Interest

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what areas of special scientific interest were declared in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years.

David Cairns: The sites declared in each of the last five financial years were as follows:
	 2001-02
	Castletown
	Ballynanaghten
	Tullyard
	Carrickastickan
	Tullybrick Lough
	Fymore Lough
	Cullentra Lough
	Killough Bay and Strand Lough
	Outer Ards
	Derryvore
	Lough Doo
	Tully Hill
	Levallymore
	Selshion
	 2002-03
	River Foyle and Tributaries
	 2003-04
	Lurgan Lough
	Torr Head
	Portrush West Strand
	Castlewellan Lake
	Black Lough
	Derrycloony Lough
	Conagher
	Drumcrow
	Newlands
	Aghnadarragh
	Fathom Upper
	Aghanloo Wood
	Copeland Islands
	Cam Lough
	Bonds Glen
	 2004-05
	Mullynaskeagh
	Feystown
	Ballymacombs More
	Lenaghan Wood
	Edenaclogh Wood
	Rehaghy Wood
	Banagher
	Lough Corry
	Lough Aleater
	Lough Scolban
	Lurgan River Wood
	Ballypalady
	Murrins
	 2005-06
	Lemnalary
	River Roe and Tributaries

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many individuals are under antisocial behaviour orders in each local government authority in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The relevant authorities have notified the Northern Ireland Office of 13 antisocial behaviour orders being granted in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			  Area  Number of orders 
			 Ballymena Borough Council 2 
			 Dungannon District Council 1 
			 Larne District Council 3 
			 Magherafelt District Council 1 
			 Newry and Mourne City Council 1 
			 Belfast City Council (1)1 
			 Coleraine Borough Council (1)2 
			 Derry City Council (1)2 
			 (1) Interim.

Antisocial Behaviour Orders

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland;
	(2)  what plans he has to carry out an assessment of the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland;
	(3)  how many antisocial behaviour orders have been made in Northern Ireland in each parliamentary constituency since their introduction;
	(4)  what plans he has to introduce  (a) parenting orders and  (b) individual support orders alongside antisocial behaviour orders in Northern Ireland;
	(5)  whether he plans to increase the powers of county courts to make an antisocial behaviour order where there are other related proceedings.

David Hanson: The Government have not received any recent representations on the effectiveness of antisocial behaviour orders. As the Secretary of State announced in March, the Northern Ireland Office is planning to evaluate the implementation of antisocial behaviour orders during 2006-07.
	The relevant authorities have notified the Northern Ireland Office of 13 antisocial behaviour orders being granted in Northern Ireland.
	
		
			  Area  Number of orders 
			 Ballymena Borough Council 2 
			 Dungannon District Council 1 
			 Larne District Council 3 
			 Magherafelt District Council 1 
			 Newry and Mourne City Council 1 
			 Belfast City Council (1)1 
			 Coleraine Borough Council (1)2 
			 Derry City Council (1)2 
			 (1) Interim. 
		
	
	We do not collect data by parliamentary constituency.
	There are currently no plans to empower county courts to be able to make antisocial behaviour orders where there are related proceedings. We continue to monitor the use of parenting orders and individual support orders in Great Britain in order to inform any consideration of these measures for Northern Ireland.

Assaults

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many assaults there have been within each local government authority area of Northern Ireland in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI does not record information by local government authority. Details of assaults by district command unit are shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Assaults by district command unit 
			  DCU  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Antrim 707 506 611 649 554 
			 Ards 739 762 849 755 798 
			 East Belfast 826 1,010 1,058 923 918 
			 North Belfast 1,814 1,651 1,694 1,596 1,721 
			 South Belfast 2,379 2,280 2,291 2,119 2,356 
			 West Belfast 1,068 1,080 1,098 1,165 1,198 
			 Carrickfergus 384 358 393 371 403 
			 Castlereagh 468 447 462 433 414 
			 Larne 352 351 344 319 347 
			 Lisburn 1,195 1,256 1,494 1,527 1,488 
			 Newtownabbey 805 778 905 838 934 
			 North Down 667 803 850 863 907 
			 Armagh 486 525 493 484 489 
			 Banbridge 533 571 556 555 578 
			 Ballymena 634 736 837 936 849 
			 Ballymoney 151 224 187 252 240 
			 Coleraine 696 872 975 1,016 1,038 
			 Cookstown 438 409 466 499 444 
			 Craigavon 880 1,034 1,257 1,308 1,243 
			 Dungannon and South Tyrone 455 453 507 495 547 
			 Down 659 802 759 724 882 
			 Fermanagh 382 447 425 443 567 
			 Foyle 1,813 1,725 1,733 1,796 1,944 
			 Limavady 414 479 486 570 601 
			 Magherafelt 303 355 432 374 444 
			 Moyle 170 212 192 203 189 
			 Newry and Mourne 720 910 911 945 1,011 
			 Omagh 606 664 733 664 650 
			 Strabane 673 622 670 632 517 
			 Northern Ireland 21,419 22,322 23,668 23,454 24,271 
			  Source: Central Statistics Unit, PSNI.

Belfast-Dublin Railway Line

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding was allocated to track and rolling stock on the Belfast-Dublin railway line in each of the last 15 years.

David Cairns: Translink has provided the following details of investment in track and rolling stock on the Belfast-Dublin railway line from 1993. Unfortunately figures for 1991 and 1992 are not available.
	
		
			  () 
			   Track Relay  New Rolling Stock 
			 1993 1,383  
			 1994 2,300 3,400 
			 1995 1,268 5,800 
			 1996 5,661 3,100 
			 1997 5,106 1,500 
			 1998 1,440 1,500 
			 1999 9,258  
			 2000 4,738  
			 2001 102  
			 2002 37  
			 2003 156  
			 2004 250  
			 2005 250

Belfast-Dublin Railway Line

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the cost to Translink of the closure of the Dublin-Belfast railway line in August.

David Cairns: Translink has advised that the cost of closures on the Belfast-Dublin railway line caused by security alerts in August 2006 is estimated to be approximately 100,000.

Breast Cancer

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rates of breast cancer per 1,000 women over the age of 50 years were in each district council area in Northern Ireland in the last period for which figures are available.

Paul Goggins: The following table details the age standardised incidence rate of breast cancer (ICD-10 C50) in females aged 50 and over in Northern Ireland by district council area between 1999 and 2003.
	
		
			  Table 1: Breast cancer in females aged 50 and over in Northern Ireland, 1999-2003 
			   Number of new cases  Crude incidence rate (per 1,000 females)  Age standardised incidence rate (per 1,000 females) 
			 Antrim 90 2.6 2.6 (2.1, 3.2) 
			 Ards 177 2.8 2.8 (2.4, 3.2) 
			 Armagh 112 2.8 2.8 (2.3, 3.3) 
			 Ballymena 130 2.6 2.6 (2.1, 3.0) 
			 Ballymoney 65 3.1 3.1 (2.3, 3.8) 
			 Banbridge 88 2.8 2.8 (2.2, 3.4) 
			 Belfast 665 2.8 2.8 (2.6, 3.0) 
			 Carrickfergus 92 3.1 3.1 (2.5, 3.7) 
			 Castlereagh 156 2.6 2.6 (2.2, 3.0) 
			 Coleraine 127 2.7 2.7 (2.2, 3.1) 
			 Cookstown 59 2.6 2.6 (1.9, 3.3) 
			 Craigavon 179 2.9 2.9 (2.5, 3.3) 
			 Derry 161 2.4 2.5 (2.1, 2.9) 
			 Down 158 3.2 3.3 (2.7, 3.8) 
			 Dungannon 97 2.8 2.8 (2.2, 3.4) 
			 Fermanagh 121 2.7 2.7 (2.2, 3.2) 
			 Larne 77 2.9 2.9 (2.2, 3.5) 
			 Limavady 62 3.0 2.9 (2.2, 3.7) 
			 Lisburn 234 2.9 2.9 (2.5, 3.3) 
			 Magherafelt 72 2.7 2.7 (2.1, 3.3) 
			 Moyle 38 2.8 2.8 (1.9, 3.7) 
			 Newry and Mourne 195 3.2 3.2 (2.8, 3.7) 
			 Newtownabbey 178 2.7 2.7 (2.3, 3.1) 
			 North Down 213 2.9 2.9 (2.5, 3.3) 
			 Omagh 83 2.5 2.5 (2.0, 3.1) 
			 Strabane 74 2.8 2.8 (2.2, 3.5) 
			 
			 Northern Ireland 3,729 2.8 2.7 (2.6, 2.8) 
			  Notes:  1. The Northern Ireland total includes 29 cases with missing or incomplete postcodes that are not assigned to a district council.  2. The age standardised rate is a rate used to permit comparisons between regions and over time. The rate adjusts for differences in regional and temporal population age structures by adopting the 2003 Northern Ireland population. It is reported as a rate per 1,000 persons.  3. Figures in brackets represent the 95 per cent. confidence interval which is the range of values within which there is a 95 per cent. probability of finding the true value for the incidence rate. 
		
	
	This information has been provided by the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry and is the most up to date currently available.

Child Support Agency

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the extent of bad debts facing the Child Support Agency in Northern Ireland; and what action is being taken to recover such debts.

David Hanson: The total amount of debt facing the Northern Ireland Child Support Agency is 58.6 million of which 26.3 million is collectable debt and 32.3 million is probably uncollectable for a variety of reasons namely, a lack of contact with, or the personal circumstances of, the Non-Resident Parent.
	As part of the Northern Ireland Improvement Plan we are considering and pursuing several options for the recovery of debt, this includes improved use of enforcement powers and the outsourcing of debt collection via the Department to debt collection experts. In addition, a dedicated team has been set up to deal with non-compliance and the early results of this work indicate an increase in the number of agreements to pay.

Children and Young People's Advisory Forum

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what progress has been made in the work of the Children and Young People's Advisory Forum announced by Lord Rooker on 10 August 2005.

Maria Eagle: The Government remain committed to ensuring that children and young people are involved in decisions that affect their lives. Our aim is to embed a culture of engaging with children and young people. Since the announcement by Lord Rooker we have been consulting with a range of organisations with expertise in children's participation on how best to deliver on that aim. We have had a series of meetings with children and young people, including those who traditionally have been harder-to-reach. I hope to be able to make a fuller statement on these matters in the next few weeks.

Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to extend the provisions of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 to Northern Ireland.

David Cairns: Draft legislation, namely the draft Waste (Amendment) (Northern Ireland) Order 2006, is currently the subject of a full consultation exercise by the Department of the Environment. The provisions in the draft Order deal with illegal waste disposal and are based on provisions in Part 5 of the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005. The Department is currently working to produce draft legislation for Northern Ireland corresponding to the remaining provisions in the Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 which deal with a wide range of local environmental quality issues.

Community Festival Fund

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much was given to each festival in 2006-07 out of the Community Festival Fund.

Maria Eagle: Amounts awarded to each festival in 2006-07 out of the Community Festival Fund are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Tranche 1 
			  Festival  Awarded () 
			 Armagh Festival of Traditional and Folk Song 2006 12,000.00 
			 Fiddlers Green 2006 9,000.00 
			 Lady of the Lake Festival 8,000.00 
			 Greater Shankill Community Festival 7,000.00 
			 Glasgowbury Music Festival 2006 6,000.00 
			 Centennial Celebrations of Bangor District LOL No. 18 5,000.00 
			 Cairncastle 4 Day Ulster Scots Festival 5,000.00 
			 Coleraine Festival 5,000.00 
			 Moira Village Festival 2006 5,000.00 
			 Seeconnell Festival 2006 5,000.00 
			 Summer Madness 2006 (Street Reach) 5,000.00 
			 Tyrone Orangefest 2006 5,000.00 
			 Randalstown Arches Festival 4,290.00 
			 Sandy Row Community and Culture Festival 2006 4,000.00 
			 Big Lough Sunday 4,000.00 
			 Crumlin Summer Fest 2006 3,000.00 
			 Fern Festival 2006 3,000.00 
			 Boyne and Beyond 3,000.00 
			 Lurgan District Community Festival 2006 3,000.00 
			 Richill, Hamiltonsbawn and District July Festival 2006 3,000.00 
			 Carrickgergus Pageant 2006 2,460.00 
			 Carlingford Lough International Currach Championships 2,000.00 
			 Orangefest 2006 2,000.00 
			 O'Neill Summer School 2006 2,000.00 
			 Connections Community Festival 2,000.00 
			 Ballymacarrett Somme Festival 1,000.00 
			 Sub total 115,750.00 
		
	
	
		
			  Tranche 2 
			  Festival  Awarded () 
			 Feile an Phobail 2006 45,000.00 
			 Ardoyne Fleadh Cheoil 2006 17,000.00 
			 Greater New Lodge Community Festival 13,000.00 
			 Country Comes to Town 10,000.00 
			 Golden Link Festival 2006 10,000.00 
			 13th William Kennedy Piping Festival 9,000.00 
			 Gasyard Wall Feile 2006 8,000.00 
			 Broadisland Gathering 2006 5,000.00 
			 Belfast Pride Festival 2006 3,000.00 
			 Hillsborough Oyster Festival 2006 3,000.00 
			 Rock the Valley 2006 3,000.00 
			 Kesh Festival 2006 2,200.00 
			 Rathlin Airs Annual Traditional Music Festival 2006 2,000.00 
			 Third Annual Halloween Puppet Festival 2006 2,000.00 
			 Motte Fest 2006 1,615.00 
			 Sub total 133,815.00 
		
	
	A third tranche, for festivals between 1 December 2006 to 31 March 2007, has still to be awarded. The closing date for receipt of applications is 18 August 2006.

Correspondence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will answer the letter from the hon. Lady for North Down dated 10 February transferred to his Department from the then Office of the Deputy Prime Minister in relation to the firefighters' pension scheme; what the reasons are for the delay in replying.

Paul Goggins: There is no record of this letter having been received by the Secretary of State or by the Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety. I would advise the hon. Lady to write to me directly on this matter.

Correspondence

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he will reply to the letter dated 30 May from the hon. Lady for North Down in relation to the support given to children who are victims of sexual abuse in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: A reply to the letter of 30 May was issued to the hon. Lady on 5 July 2006 and a copy has been forwarded to her office.

Crime Reporting/Statistics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps have been taken to establish the level of crime that is not reported to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) across each of its district command units; and what investigations have been undertaken to establish the reasons for possible changes in the reporting of crime to the PSNI.

Paul Goggins: Recorded crime statistics are produced by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in line with Home Office Counting rules and are broadly comparable with those supplied by police forces in England and Wales.
	Information on crime levels and public attitudes to crime is gathered through the Northern Ireland Crime Survey (NICS), run by NISRA central survey unit on behalf of the Northern Ireland Office. The survey is also the main vehicle by which the Department is able to (1) identify those most at risk from different types of crime, (2) examine people's attitudes to crime and (3) measure confidence in the police and the wider criminal justice system. By examining crime reporting levels in Northern Ireland the survey also offers comparisons to reporting levels in England and Wales.
	Results from the Northern Ireland Crime Survey (2003-04the last full year for which results are available) showed that 45 per cent. of comparable crimes were reported to the police. This is broadly similar to England and Wales where the British Crime Survey (2003-04) stated that 42 per cent. of such crimes were reported to the police for the same period. Due to its sample size, the NICS cannot be used to produce sufficiently robust crime reporting data to facilitate analysis at district command unit level.
	The Northern Ireland Crime Survey also examines reasons for not reporting crime in Northern Ireland. In the most recent survey, only 1 per cent. of respondents who did not report crime gave the reason 'dislike/fear the police', while the most common reasons were 'too trivial/no loss' (33 per cent.), 'police could not have done anything' (32 per cent.) and 'police would not have been bothered/been interested' (24 per cent.).

Crime Reporting/Statistics

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many crimes were  (a) reported and  (b) successfully prosecuted in (i) the Ards, (ii) the Castlereagh and (iii) the Down district command units in each of the last four years.

Paul Goggins: The number of reported crimes for the last four financial years and areas in question is shown in Table 1. Table 2 contains the number of convictions for the last four calendar years for which figures are available. The conviction data are collated on the principal offence rule thus only the most serious offence with which an offender is charged is included. In addition, conviction data is offender-based and does not offer a direct comparison to the number of crimes recorded.
	
		
			  Table 1: Crimes recorded 
			   Ards DCU  Castlereagh DCU  Down DCU 
			 2002-03 4,969 4,221 5,245 
			 2003-04 4,310 3,561 4,568 
			 2004-05 3,718 2,917 3,758 
			 2005-06 3,577 3,227 4,280 
			  Source: Central Statistics Unit, PSNI. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table 2: Convictions( 1) 
			   Ards DCU  Castlereagh DCU  Down DCU 
			 2001 761 583 723 
			 2002 791 582 739 
			 2003 806 678 879 
			 2004 917 793 988 
			 (1) Figures are based on the DCU in which the offender's address falls rather than the DCU in which the offence was reported.  Source: NIO Statistics and Research Branch.

Crown Court (Northern Ireland)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, how many and what percentage of Crown court sentences in Northern Ireland were successfully appealed by  (a) the Crown and  (b) the defendant in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	The number and percentage of Crown court sentences successfully appealed in Northern Ireland, based on the year the appeal was lodged, is as follows:
	
		
			  Crown (by way of Attorney-General reference) 
			   Number of appeals lodged  Number of successful appeals  Percentage of successful appeals  Number outstanding 
			 2001 3 3 100 0 
			 2002 5 1 20 0 
			 2003 17 12 71 0 
			 2004 18 6 33 0 
			 2005 13 6 46 0 
		
	
	
		
			  Defendants 
			   Number of appeals lodged  Number of successful appeals  Percentage of successful appeals  Number outstanding  Percentage outstanding 
			 2001 53 17 32 0 0 
			 2002 47 13 28 2 4 
			 2003 49 17 35 1 2 
			 2004 64 8 13 5 8 
			 2005 34 5 15 9 26

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what estimate he has made of the total carbon emission from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office has not made any recent estimate of its carbon emissions. However, the NIO is committed to promoting sustainable development and is working with the Northern Ireland Departments to make the Government estate carbon neutral by 2015. In addition the NIO is a participant in the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund, which aims to offset all carbon emissions from ministerial and official air travel.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication his Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Peter Hain: Details of the publications issued by the Northern Ireland Office since 1 July 2005, including circulation, cost and title are given as follows:
	
		
			  Title  Circulation  Cost( 1)  () 
			 NIO Resource Accounts 2004-05 30 3,000 
			 NIO Resource Accounts 2005-06 30 (2) 
			 Exploring Criminal Justice Publication 720 14,246 
			 CJSNI Report 2005-06 846 11,105 
			 Consultation Paper: The Powers of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission 150 669.21 
			 Policy for Prosecuting Cases of Domestic Violence 1,300 3,590.00 
			 Implementation Update Spring 2006 1,500 2,010.00 
			 Community Outreach Strategy 2006-09 3,000 1,975.00 
			 Belfast Pilot Project Evaluation ReportSummary of Key Findings and Recommendations 250 1,995.00 
			 Fermanagh and Tyrone Pilot Project Evaluation ReportSummary of Key Findings and Recommendations 250 1,950.00 
			 Evaluation of the Pilot Projects in Belfast and Fermanagh and TyroneAction Plan 250 1,340.00 
			 PPS Annual Business Plan 2006-07 750 2,060.00 
			 PPS Annual Report 2005-06 500 4,530.00 
			 Organised Crime Task Force Annual Report and Threat Assessment 2006 1,500 5965.00 
			 Organised Crime Task Force newspaper supplement 276,000 21,992.16 
			 (1) Figure includes design and layout in addition to printing costs. (2) Exact costs not yet knownfinal invoice not yet received.

Departmental Vehicles

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many cars were  (a) owned and  (b) leased by his Department in each of the last five years.

Peter Hain: The details of the cars owned and leased by the Northern Ireland Office in each of the last five years are contained in the following table.
	
		
			   Owned  Leased 
			 2001-02 1 18 
			 2002-03 1 18 
			 2003-04 1 18 
			 2004-05 3 14 
			 2005-06 3 14

Direct Action Against Drugs

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the recent claims of responsibility by the group Direct Action Against Drugs; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI inform me that an incident occurred on the 14 July 2006 in Lurgan. The injured party did not link the assault to Direct Action Against Drugs (DAAD) and claimed he had no idea why he was attacked or who was responsible.

Driver Vehicle Testing Agency

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average waiting times were for the practical driving test in each of the Driver Vehicle Testing Agency centres in Northern Ireland in the most recent period for which figures are available.

David Cairns: Figures for waiting times for a practical driving test are shown in the following table for each centre for the week ending 22 July 2006.
	
		
			  Test Centre  Average waiting times (weeks) 
			 Armagh 7 
			 Ballymena 4 
			 Belfast 6 
			 Coleraine 6 
			 Cookstown 5 
			 Graigavon 5 
			 Downpatrick 5 
			 Enniskillen 6 
			 Larne 7 
			 Lisburn 4 
			 Londonderry 5 
			 Mallusk n/a 
			 Newry 7 
			 Newtownards 8 
			 Omagh 8 
			 Overall 6

Employment Statistics

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the rate of  (a) economic activity and  (b) unemployment is in each (i) council district and (ii) parliamentary constituency.

Maria Eagle: The working age economic activity rate at April-June 2006 and claimant count unemployment rate at August 2006 for each i) district council and ii) parliamentary constituency are shown in the following tables:
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  i) District councils  Economic activity rate( 1)  Claimant count unemployment rate 
			 Antrim 85.3 1.8 
			 Ards 74.7 2.3 
			 Armagh 78.1 1.9 
			 Ballymena 78.0 2.2 
			 Ballymoney 75.2 2.3 
			 Banbridge 75.6 1.4 
			 Belfast 71.1 4.3 
			 Carrickfergus 77.6 2.2 
			 Castlereagh 85.5 1.4 
			 Coleraine 79.0 2.6 
			 Cookstown 63.4 2.0 
			 Craigavon 70.8 2.3 
			 Derry 62.0 5.3 
			 Down 70.2 2.4 
			 Dungannon 69.9 1.8 
			 Fermanagh 60.1 2.7 
			 Larne 78.8 2.3 
			 Limavady 59.3 2.9 
			 Lisburn 77.1 2.3 
			 Magherafelt 71.6 1.6 
			 Moyle 67.7 3.3 
			 Newry and Mourne 74.3 2.5 
			 Newtownabbey 78.0 2.3 
			 North Down 72.7 1.9 
			 Omagh 72.1 2.4 
			 Strabane 66.6 5.3 
			 Northern Ireland 72.9 2.8 
		
	
	
		
			  Percentage 
			  ii) Parliamentary constituencies  Economic activity rate( 1)  Claimant count unemployment rate 
			 Belfast East 84.6 2.2 
			 Belfast North 69.9 4.9 
			 Belfast South 76.6 2.5 
			 Belfast West 51.6 6.3 
			 East Antrim 79.7 2.8 
			 East Londonderry 71.9 2.7 
			 Fermanagh and South Tyrone 64.5 2.4 
			 Foyle 62.0 5.3 
			 Lagan Valley 81.1 1.6 
			 Mid Ulster 67.6 1.8 
			 Newry and Armagh 74.6 2.4 
			 North Antrim 75.6 2.4 
			 North Down 71.0 2.0 
			 South Antrim 80.9 1.8 
			 South Down 73.1 2.1 
			 Strangford 79.4 1.9 
			 Upper Bann 69.5 2.1 
			 West Tyrone 69.7 3.7 
			 Northern Ireland 72.9 2.8 
			 ( 1) Source:  Labour Force Survey, April - June 2006.

Energy Performance Certificates

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the timetable is for the introduction of energy performance certificates in Northern Ireland for domestic properties when sold; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Energy performance certificates for domestic properties when sold will be introduced in 2008 on a phased basis following a consultation on the implementation of energy performance certificates for all existing buildings in late 2006.
	Energy performance certificates will be extremely useful in informing potential house purchasers of the energy efficiency of the property and therefore raising the profile of energy efficiency.

EU Fisheries Council

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will ensure that the Minister with responsibility for Agriculture and Rural Affairs in Northern Ireland attends the 2006 EU Fisheries Council meeting.

David Cairns: Subject to the possible return of devolved Government in November I will attend the 2006 December Fishery Council.

Field Studies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to make field studies a compulsory part of AS Level and A Level courses for pupils who study science and geography.

Maria Eagle: It is the role of the awarding bodies to set the requirements for AS and A Level courses, including whether there should be a compulsory field-work element.
	The specification of the Northern Ireland awarding body, The Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA), for GCE Geography requires fieldwork to be undertaken.

Field Studies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment he has made of the role of out-of-classroom learning in Northern Ireland in increasing  (a) physical activity and  (b) inclusiveness among secondary school children.

Maria Eagle: The Department has not commissioned any recent research on the contribution of out-of-classroom learning to increasing physical activity and inclusiveness among post-primary school children. However, the Education and Training Inspectorate reports that out-of-classroom learning experiences make a valuable contribution to the physical, academic and personal and social development of post-primary pupils; these experiences help to promote inclusion by strengthening pupils' self-esteem and motivation, by providing structured opportunities to engage in team work and thereby helping young people to overcome social, cultural and other differences.

Field Studies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to ensure that children in Northern Ireland from low and middle income families are not excluded on account of cost from participating in out-of-school learning in secondary schools.

Maria Eagle: Secondary schools, and indeed most grammar schools, are not allowed to charge parents for education provided wholly or mainly outside school hours that is provided in order to meet the requirements of the school curriculum or to deliver the syllabus for an approved public examination. The only exception to this rule relates to pupils not resident in Northern Ireland or whose parents are not EU nationals and pupils enrolled in Group B voluntary grammar schools (of which there are two in Northern Ireland) which would have no public representative on their Board of Governors.
	For all other out-of-school activities, it is a matter for individual schools to decide on the level of contribution from parents but I do expect them to set charges in a way that reflects the costs of delivering the activity and that does not disadvantage lower earning families.

Field Studies

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent assessment his Department has made of the effects of educational field courses on the academic performance of secondary pupils in Northern Ireland.

Maria Eagle: Field-work can add value to post-primary school pupils' practical experience and schools have the autonomy to offer additional field work at their discretion. The Department has not commissioned any recent research on the benefits of field courses, nor has the Education and Training Inspectorate specifically surveyed the quality of field-work in recent years.

Freedom of Information

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many freedom of information requests have been received by each of the Northern Ireland Departments in the two most recent years for which figures are available; and how many of these were made by members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.

David Hanson: The Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister publishes statistics on the performance of the 11 Northern Ireland Departments on a quarterly basis. Similarly, figures for the Northern Ireland Office are included in the Department for Constitutional Affairs quarterly update for Whitehall Departments. The total number of requests received by each Department in 2005 and between 1 January 2006 and 31 March 2006 are set out in the following table. Figures for the second quarter of 2006, 1 April 2006 to 30 June 2006, should be available towards the end of August.
	There are no statistics held regarding the number of requests made by members of the Northern Ireland Civil Service.
	
		
			  Number of Requests Received( 1) 
			  Department  2005  1 January to 31 March, 2006 
			 Agriculture and Rural Development 234 64 
			 Culture, Arts and Leisure(2) 705 115 
			 Education 136 52 
			 Employment and Learning 93 29 
			 Enterprise, Trade and Investment 75 33 
			 Finance and Personnel 416 93 
			 Health, Social Services and Public Safety 144 34 
			 Environment 794 270 
			 Regional Development 343 114 
			 Social Development 150 41 
			 Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister 89 26 
			 Northern Ireland Office 187 55 
			 (1) Figures include requests made under the Environmental Information Regulations 2004.  (2) DCAL figures includes requests made to the Public Record Office of Northern Ireland.

Fuel Laundering

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent estimate he has made of the cost to public funds in Northern Ireland of the disposal of toxic acid waste from illegal fuel-washing; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Environment and Heritage Service of the Department of the Environment has been advised by district councils that they had incurred approximately 115,000 in cleaning up toxic waste between 2003 and early 2006, a significant proportion of which arose from illegal fuel washing.
	This clean-up work, and its associated cost, was largely confined to councils bordering the Republic of Ireland.

Gaelic Athletic Association

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much government funding has been awarded to the Gaelic Athletic Association in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The Sports Council for Northern Ireland (SCNI) is responsible for the development of Sport in Northern Ireland including the distribution of exchequer funding to individual sports. The SCNI has awarded exchequer funding to the GAA as follows:
	
		
			   GAA 
			 2001-02 46,978 
			 2002-03 557,042 
			 2003-04 207,596 
			 2004-05 208,211 
			 2005-06 136,807 
			 Total 1,156,634 
		
	
	In addition the Department of Finance and personnel (DFP), Department of Education (DE), Department of Enterprise Trade and Investment (DETI), Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM), Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS), Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) and Department of Social Development (DSD) have provided funding to the Gaelic Athletic Association in each of the last five years. The following tables outline the funding that has been provided by each of these Departments:
	
		
			  DFP funding 
			   GAA  Sports including GAA activities 
			 2001-02 0 0 
			 2002-03 0 0 
			 2003-04 55,000 48,434 
			 2004-05 27,173 0 
			 2005-06 11,250 0 
			 Total 93,423 48,434 
		
	
	
		
			  DE funding 
			   GAA 
			 2001-02 1,500 
			 2002-03 1,500 
			 2003-04 330,089 
			 2004-05 20,165 
			 2005-06 5,998 
			 Total 359,252 
		
	
	
		
			  DETI funding 
			   GAA 
			 2001-02 500 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 Total 500 
		
	
	
		
			  OFMDFM funding 
			   GAA 
			 2001-02 2,370 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 0 
			 Total 2,370 
		
	
	
		
			  DHSSPS funding 
			   GAA 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 0 
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 7,650 
			 2005-06 4,565 
			 Total 12,215

Good Friday Agreement

Peter Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) printing,  (b) advertising,  (c) consultants,  (d) legal,  (e) public relation and promotional,  (f) concerts and events and  (g) graphic design costs were incurred relating to the Good Friday Agreement Referendum in 1998.

Peter Hain: The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) is unable to provide a breakdown of the various costs relating to the Good Friday Agreement Referendum in 1998, as requested by the hon. Member, because they were not recorded in this way. However, from our records the total cost of holding the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement Referendum was 1,450,000.

Home Improvement Grants

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many grant applications for home improvements were made in each housing executive district in the last year for which figures are available; and how many of these were successful.

David Hanson: The information cannot be given in the format requested as private sector grants statistics are mostly recorded by local council area. The following table sets out the information in that form for the financial year 2005-06.
	The approval figures provided represent the successful conclusion to the application process in the 2005-06 financial year. Some applications such as those for home repairs assistance grants will have commenced in that year while others will have started in previous years. Approvals for repairs grants and grants for houses in multiple occupation which are for landlords are not included.
	Some of the preliminary enquiries received last year will be unsuccessful because initial inspection will deem the property to be fit for human habitation while in other instances the applicant will decide not to proceed.
	
		
			  District Council Area  Preliminary Enquiry Forms Received  Grant Applications Approved 
			 Antrim 147 50 
			 Ards 331 114 
			 Armagh 423 222 
			 Banbridge 195 117 
			 Belfast 2,144 1,089 
			 Ballymena 165 67 
			 Ballymoney 88 45 
			 Craigavon 581 312 
			 Carrickfergus 171 81 
			 Coleraine 191 93 
			 Castlereagh 278 133 
			 Cookstown 323 207 
			 Derry 761 458 
			 Dungannon 506 311 
			 Down 380 230 
			 Fermanagh 684 537 
			 Larne 233 88 
			 Lisburn 475 203 
			 Limavady 199 121 
			 Magherafelt 260 175 
			 Moyle 46 47 
			 Newry and Mourne 1,123 531 
			 Newtownabbey 400 194 
			 North Down 269 120 
			 Omagh 397 261 
			 Strabane 416 325 
			 Totals 11,186 6,131

Hospital Waiting Lists

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many people from North Down constituency are on waiting lists for  (a) heart,  (b) lung,  (c) liver and  (d) kidney operations.

Paul Goggins: This information is not available.
	Official waiting list statistics derived from aggregate data returns are collected at health board and HSS trust level. Information relating to individual patients post code of residence is not identifiable within these data. It is therefore not possible to identify how many patients within each health board and HSS trust return reside within the North Down parliamentary constituency.
	Additionally, official waiting list data are collected at specialty level only. The specialty recorded relates to the specialty of the consultant that is treating the patient. Fox example, a patient waiting for a lung operation could be recorded under either the thoracic medicine or general medicine specialties depending on the consultant who is treating them. This situation is equally applicable to the other types of operations listed in the question. Therefore, it is not possible to provide information for particular types of operation from official waiting list returns.

Housing

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the Housing Affordability Review announced at the beginning of September.

David Hanson: The Housing Affordability Review, which is headed by Sir John Semple, will look at barriers affecting those seeking affordable housing in both owner occupied, social and private rented sectors. It will examine existing policies and engage with all the relevant players, including Government Departments, property developers, the financial services sector, housing experts, the voluntary and community sector and elected representatives. A progress report will be completed in December and the final recommendations will be presented to Government next spring.

Housing

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding the Northern Ireland Housing Executive has allocated to each constituency in each of the last five years; and what the estimates are for each of the next three years in each case.

David Hanson: The information is not available in the form requested. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive allocates funding on a district council area basis rather than by constituency. Estimates for future expenditure are available for one year only. The following table details expenditure from 2001-02 to 2005-06 and projected expenditure for 2006-07.
	
		
			  Allocation of NIHE expenditure over district council areas 
			   million 
			   Actual spend  Projected spend 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Antrim 3.90 4.39 3.97 3.51 4.32 4.55 
			 Ards 6.81 6.92 10.10 7.49 8.94 9.33 
			 Armagh 5.03 4.53 3.95 4.50 4.82 4.11 
			 Ballymena 5.40 5.97 7.07 5.83 7.30 8.11 
			 Ballymoney 3.90 3.72 4.16 2.90 1.89 2.09 
			 Banbridge 2.14 2.68 3.03 3.77 3.14 3.03 
			 Belfast 40.34 45.51 44.12 41.29 46.62 49.77 
			 Carrickfergus 4.80 4.15 5.64 6.78 6.40 6.12 
			 Castlereagh 6.30 6.56 5.46 6.56 6.11 8.31 
			 Coleraine 7.20 6.73 9.18 6.45 6.93 6.87 
			 Cookstown 2.94 3.62 3.06 2.95 3.41 2.60 
			 Craigavon 7.56 6.61 7.38 7.33 8.33 9.50 
			 Derry 11.86 14.87 14.27 14.58 13.96 13.29 
			 Down 5.28 6.54 6.02 6.65 5.41 4.41 
			 Dungannon 5.15 6.14 6.41 4.43 4.67 4.73 
			 Fermanagh 7.18 7.83 7.75 6.55 6.45 6.87 
			 Larne 3.45 2.57 3.37 3.46 2.27 2.35 
			 Limavady 2.98 3.47 4.03 4.06 3.54 2.75 
			 Lisburn 9.87 10.55 11.50 15.13 15.65 9.90 
			 Magherafelt 3.55 3.55 2.84 3.49 4.18 3.70 
			 Moyle 2.10 2.25 1.89 3.56 2.57 2.62 
			 Newry 7.27 8.98 8.18 7.70 8.60 7.50 
			 Newtownabbey 6.80 11.29 10.14 9.43 10.93 10.63 
			 North Down 4.10 5.94 5.55 7.03 7.59 7.05 
			 Omagh 3.36 5.07 4.80 5.45 6.11 6.24 
			 Strabane 4.06 5.23 7.16 6.05 5.91 5.65 
			 Total 173.33 195.67 201.03 196.93 206.05 202.08

Indeterminate Sentences

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will introduce indeterminate sentences for people convicted of serious violent and sexual offences in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: Last year the Northern Ireland Office undertook a public consultation on the Review of the Sentencing Framework in Northern Ireland. Consultees were asked to consider a range of sentencing disposals, including indeterminate and extended public protection sentences. I will shortly be examining policy options considered in the review and the responses to the consultation. Protection of the public will be a central consideration.

Laura Cordner

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects a resolution to the complaint made by Laura Cordner regarding non-payment of superannuation entitlements by a health trust.

Paul Goggins: The Department cannot comment on when the case brought before the Industrial Tribunal by Laura Cordner will be resolved. This is a matter for the tribunal.

Liquor Licence Applications

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many liquor licence applications in each parliamentary constituency in Northern Ireland were refused in each of the last five years.

Bridget Prentice: I have been asked to reply.
	Court data in respect of liquor licences in Northern Ireland is recorded by county court division. The following table shows the number of liquor licences refused in the years 2001 to 2005 for each of the county court divisions:
	
		
			  County court division  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Belfast 2  5   
			 Craigavon  
			 Armagh and South Down  
			 Londonderry  
			 Fermanagh and Tyrone  1
			 Ards  
			 Antrim1

Medical Schools

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions he has had with interested parties regarding the implications of the proposed closure of the Lindsay School in South Belfast and the South and East Belfast Health and Social Services Trust's proposal for the replacement of the Adolescent Mental Health Inpatient Unit and Child and Family Centre.

Maria Eagle: While neither Ministers nor the Department of Education have had any direct discussions regarding the proposed closure of Lindsay School, the South Eastern Education and Library Board (SEELB) has made the following comment:
	Discussions have been on-going for several months between the SEELB and South  East Belfast Trust regarding appropriate educational provision for children receiving treatment at The Child and Family Centre based at Forster Green. These discussions have also included consideration of proposals from the Trust for a new facility on the site which would make provision for children and young people up to the age of 18 years. The meetings have included representation from the Trust, the Education  Training Inspectorate and the school. The most recent meeting took place on 29 June 2006. Further meetings are planned for August and September.
	Discussions are focused on:
	interim arrangements for the re-siting of The Lindsay School while building work is underway to create the new facility for child and adolescent mental health services,
	possible models for future educational provision to meet the needs of the children and young people who will be treated at the facility.
	As I have indicated previously, any proposal to close the school will require the SEELB to publish a Development Proposal, which initiates a 2-month public consultation period during which comments, including objections, may be submitted to the Department of Education. The Department will give full consideration to all representations made during this 2-month period, before making a decision on any such proposal.

Migrant Workers

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures his Department is taking to reduce the incidence of violent attacks on migrant workers in Northern Ireland.

David Hanson: The Department is working in partnership with a number of agencies to improve hate incident reporting and provide practical support to victims. A new pilot project in South Belfast will record all forms of hate incidents with the aim of collecting information on the nature and extent of hate incidents including attacks on migrant workers. The information collected through this pilot will help inform actions to reduce the incidence of violent attacks. A number of Community Safety Partnerships have also developed welcome packs for migrant workers in a range of languages which provide information on community safety issues and assist their integration into the community.
	The Police Service of Northern Ireland has the lead role in protecting minority or vulnerable groups, including migrant workers. The PSNI recently issued a new Hate Incident policy aimed at ensuring an effective, consistent and proactive response to all hate incidents. Important new initiatives in respect of cautioning, supervision, investigation reviews and restorative cautioning have been introduced to further compliment those measures already in place.
	In a number of areas where attacks have taken place, the PSNI continue to work with local communities, statutory and voluntary agencies to address the causes of hate incidents. This has included dialogue with local communities to break down barriers and address specific perceptions.
	The PSNI Hate Incident and Minority Liaison Officers not only continue to support victims of hate incidents but proactively work with employers to raise important issues such as personal safety and hate incidents. Interpreters (telephone and face-to-face) are available 24/7 to ensure that non-English speakers have immediate access to the police.
	Hate crime legislation that became law in September 2004 also includes a statutory requirement for judges to treat racial aggravation as an aggravating factor when sentencing. This gives judges greater powers in sentencing where aggravation is proven.

Ministerial Visits

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on how many occasions the President of the Irish Republic has paid official visits to Northern Ireland in each of the last two years; and which official UK representative met her on each visit.

Peter Hain: The information is as follows.
	
		
			   Official UK representative 
			  2004  
			 11 February Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell 
			 27 April Lord-Lieutenant of County Antrim, The right hon. The Lord O'Neill TD 
			 18 June Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Commander Keith Cochrane RD DL RNR 
			 15 September Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Down, Mr Patrick Forde JP DL 
			 26 October Vice Lord-Lieutenant of County Fermanagh, Lord Anthony Hamilton DL 
			 26 November A Deputy Lieutenant of County Armagh 
			 10 December Vice Lord-Lieutenant of the County Borough of Belfast, Commander Cochrane RD DL RNL. 
			   
			  2005  
			 24 February Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell 
			 12 April Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh, The right hon. The Earl of Caledon 
			 29 April Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell 
			 7 June Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Londonderry, Mr. John Baxter. 
			 8 September Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Commander Keith Cochrane RD DL RNR 
			 25 October Lord-Lieutenant of County Armagh, The right hon. The Earl of Caledon 
			 17 November Lord Lieutenant of Tyrone, The Duke of Abercorn KG 
			 8 December Deputy Lord-Lieutenant for the County Box of Belfast, Lady McCollum 
			   
			  2006  
			 18 January Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell 
			 31 January Vice Lord-Lieutenant for County Armagh, Captain Robert Lowry DL 
			 20 February Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell 
			 28 March Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell 
			 29 June Vice Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Commander Keith Cochrane RD DL RNR 
			 28 August Lord-Lieutenant for the County Borough of Belfast, Lady Carswell

Mrs. Attracta Harron

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what action he plans to take following the reports of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Probation Service of Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Prison Service on the circumstances that led up to the murder of Mrs. Attracta Harron; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The murder of Attracta Harron was a horrific act done by Trevor Hamilton, who is now in prison for the rest of his life. None of the agency reports, or the independent case review, suggest that the actions of Hamilton could have been prevented by the agencies. Nonetheless, the arrangements for risk assessment and management of sex offenders have developed considerably since 2003 and further action has already been taken to implement all the recommendations in the agency and independent reports. I have also asked Kit Chivers, Chief Inspector of Criminal Justice in Northern Ireland to review the implementation of the recommendations and report to me by the end of the year.
	I also intend to legislate in the near future to place these important multi agency public protection arrangements on a statutory footing and extend their remit to include certain serious violent offenders in addition to all sexual offenders. Both types of offenders will always be present in our communities and those who are assessed as continuing to pose a high level of risk will be targeted by the various criminal justice agencies, with the assistance of social services and others, with the aim of reducing the likelihood of harm to the public when an offender finishes his prison sentence and returns to the community.
	I am also considering the entire sentencing framework in Northern Ireland and will be making a further statement on this later in the year.

NI Directive 2002/91/EC

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department has published a regulatory impact assessment for the implementation of Articles 7 to 10 of EU in Northern Ireland Directive 2002/91/EC; and what the timetable is for the implementation of these Articles.

David Hanson: A regulatory impact assessment in support of articles 7 to 10 of EU Directive 2002/91/EC has not yet been published. It is planned to launch a consultation in October 2006 on proposals to implement the provisions of these articles in Northern Ireland. An initial regulatory impact assessment will form part of the consultation documentation.
	It is anticipated that regulations pertaining to these articles will be made in September 2007, coming into operation by way of a phased approach between January 2008 and January 2009.

North West Gateway Initiative

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether funding for North West Gateway Initiative projects will be additional to the Northern Ireland block grant.

David Hanson: Northern Ireland departmental expenditure on projects within the North West Gateway Initiative will not normally be additional to the Northern Ireland block grant.
	The two Governments have however also indicated that, as part of the Initiative, in drawing up programmes under the new round of EU structural funds, due consideration will be given to the needs of the North West. Northern Ireland's income from the new EU structural funds will be additional to the block grant and any EU income for projects within the North West Initiative will therefore be additional to the block.

Orange Halls

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Orange halls have been the subject of  (a) criminal damage and  (b) arson attacks in each of the last five years; and how many of those incidents have resulted in the conviction of those responsible.

Paul Goggins: Please note that these attacks are those which are deemed to be security related. PSNI has given figures for malicious fires and other types of attacks.
	
		
			   Malicious fires  Other attacks( 1) 
			 2001 7 7 
			 2002 1 3 
			 2003 3 16 
			 2004 3 3 
			 2005 8 22 
			 2006 (to 12 June)  6 
			 (1) Type of attacks include: petrol/paint bombs thrown, stones/missiles thrown, sectarian graffiti, etc.   Notes:  1. 2006 statistics are provisional and may be subject to minor amendment. 2. PSNI cannot comment on the number of convictions.

Organic Farming Scheme

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to introduce continuing organic reward payments for farmers beyond these which are available through the Organic Farming Scheme.

David Cairns: The Organic Action Plan Group Northern Ireland (OAPGNI), a cross sectoral forum independent of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD), has recommended to DARD that post-conversion reward payments should be introduced for organic farmers in Northern Ireland. Discussions with officials are ongoing and I shall meet with an OAPGNI delegation later this month to discuss how best we can support the organic sector in the context of the Northern Ireland Rural Development Programme 2007-2013.

Paediatric Gastroenterology

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will carry out an assessment of paediatric gastroenterology service  (a) provision,  (b) standards and  (c) needs in Northern Ireland.

Paul Goggins: Commissioners have assessed the demand for and provision of paediatric gastroenterology for children in Northern Ireland and have determined that the service should be further developed. Consequently, funding has been allocated for a consultant paediatric gastroenterologist and appropriate support staff. The consultant post has been advertised and the recruitment process is progressing. The appointment of a dedicated paediatric gastroenterologist will be a significant step forward in improving the quality of paediatric gastroenterology care provided locally.
	The Department has recently issued The Quality Standards for Health and Social Care which provide a framework against which HPSS organisations will be able to assess the quality of care they provide.

Parliamentary Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many parliamentary  (a) questions and  (b) draft answers on Northern Ireland matters tabled by (i) hon. Members for Northern Ireland constituencies and (ii) hon. Members for constituencies in Great Britain have been notified to the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat in the last 12 months, broken down by hon. Member.

David Hanson: Northern Ireland Civil Service officials in the North/South Ministerial Council Joint Secretariat receive a daily list of all parliamentary questions tabled to Northern Ireland Departments. They have drafted nine answers to parliamentary questions in the 12 months up to 30 September 2006 from members of the House of Commons. In addition they provided inputs to seven further questions.
	The breakdown for the questions answered is as follows.
	
		
			   Number 
			 The hon. Member for North Belfast 4 
			 The hon. Member for South Antrim 3 
			 The hon. Member for Foyle 1 
			 The hon. Member for East Londonderry 1 
		
	
	The breakdown for the part inputs is as follows
	
		
			   Number 
			 The hon. Member for Upper Bann 3 
			 The hon. Member for East Belfast 2 
			 The hon. Member for East Antrim 1 
			 The hon. Member for Aylesbury 1 
		
	
	Information is not collated on the number of draft answers which are referred to the NSMC Joint Secretariat.

Parliamentary Questions

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland for what purpose parliamentary  (a) questions and  (b) draft answers on Northern Ireland matters tabled by hon. Members are notified to the North/South Ministerial Council Secretariat.

David Hanson: Some parliamentary questions relate to the North South Ministerial Council or to its Secretariat, and it obviously falls to the Northern side of the Secretariat to produce answers to such questions. Other parliamentary questions concern the six North South Implementation Bodies and Tourism Ireland Ltd. or the six agreed Areas of North South co-operation and, in those cases, the sponsoring Departments may refer their draft answers to the Northern Side of the Secretariat to verify the accuracy of the proposed response before issue.

Planning Applications

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how long it took to process a planning application from the date it was received until a decision notice was issued in each of the last three years at  (a) Ballymena,  (b) Belfast,  (c) Coleraine,  (d) Craigavon,  (e) Downpatrick,  (f) Enniskillen,  (g) Derry and  (h) Omagh planning offices.

David Hanson: Over the last three to four years the Planning Service has been facing unprecedented work load pressures, particularly on the development control side, with the number of planning applications received in 2005-06 showing an increase of almost 30 per cent. in the number received three years ago.
	The following table shows the average time taken to process a planning application from the date of validation to the date of decision in each of the last three years at  (a) Ballymena,  (b) Belfast,  (c) Coleraine,  (d) Craigavon,  (e) Downpatrick,  (f) Enniskillen,  (g) Derry and  (h) Omagh Divisional Planning Offices.
	
		
			  Average number of weeks to process planning applications 
			   Number of weeks 
			  Divisional Planning Office  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Ballymena 22.1 29.6 34.5 
			 Belfast 18.4 20.2 21.3 
			 Coleraine 16.8 29.3 32.6 
			 Craigavon 21.8 32.5 39.6 
			 Downpatrick 22.9 25.2 33.3 
			 Enniskillen 16.1 20.5 28.4 
			 Londonderry 22.1 30.2 28.1 
			 Omagh 16.8 17.8 22.1 
			  Note:  Calculations are based on a measurement from data valid to date notified and exclude holidays and weekends.

Planning Applications

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the average time taken between the receipt by the Planning Service of Northern Ireland of the recommendations of local authorities in respect of planning applications and  (a) their determination by the Planning Service and  (b) the despatch to the applicant of the decision of the Planning Service was in the last period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: From 1 April to 31 August 2006, the average time taken between the last Council consultation and the issuing of a decision was 5.1 weeks.
	In the majority of cases, there is no further determination stage after the last Council consultation.

Plantation of Ulster 400th Anniversary

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps the Government plan to take to work with  (a) the Ulster-Scots Agency and  (b) local government ahead of the 400th anniversary of the Plantation of Ulster to maximise the tourism potential of the event; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure jointly funds the Ulster-Scots Agency which has a statutory remit to promote Ulster-Scots language and culture. The agency has indicated that it will spend in the region of 150,000 of its budget in 2006 through a variety of events on the celebration of the 400th Anniversary of the Plantation of Ulster.
	Tourism Ireland Ltd. (TIL) is currently represented on the working group which is examining the commemoration of the Flight of the Earls and its synergies with the Plantation of Ulster 400th Centenaries.
	The Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) has engaged with the Ulster Scots Agency on a project by project basis in the past and will continue to do so but to date has not been approached by the Ulster Scots Agency on the issue of the 400th Anniversary of the Plantation of Ulster.
	The Department of the Environment through the Environment and Heritage Service (EHS) is liaising with the Ulster Scots Agency and Ards borough council over plans to commemorate the association of the Montgomery and Hamilton families with the East Down area over the last 400 years.
	The Ulster Scots Agency has put forward proposals to develop a Heritage Trail which includes a number of EHS properties. This has led to an agreement that temporary promotional banners for events may be attached to the Old Priory at Newtownards, the Old Cross at Newtownards and at Greyabbey.

Police Dogs

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many police dogs are in active use by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, broken down by district command unit; and how often and in what circumstances they were deployed in the last 12 months.

Paul Goggins: Police handlers and their dogs are not based in districts, rather they are attached to tactical support groups through both regional operational command units (urban and rural). The compliment is as follows:
	
		
			   Number 
			  Urban  
			 General Purpose dogs 14 
			 Explosive dogs 2 
			 Total 16 
			   
			  Rural  
			 General Purpose dogs 10 
			 Explosive dogs 4 
			 Total 14 
		
	
	It is not possible to break down the exact deployment of this resource as dogs are used on routine mobile patrols responding to pre-planned events or DCU calls for assistance. Dogs are normally deployed on public order, tracking and search duties.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether severance payments for  (a) Mr. Thomas Hale and  (b) Mr. Desmond Clayton on their departure from the Northern Ireland Police Fund were discussed with (i) the then Secretary of State, (ii) Ministers of State and (iii) civil servants.

Paul Goggins: As the Northern Ireland Police Fund's status is a company limited by guarantee, severance payments are a matter for the fund.
	In line with standard corporate governance arrangements the Department discusses a range of issues in relation to fund business on a regular basis.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he was first informed of Mr Thomas Hale's relationship with Edward Hale.

Paul Goggins: The Secretary of State has not been informed of any relationship between these two individuals.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether approval was given by  (a) the then Secretary of State,  (b) the then Minister of State and  (c) a civil servant to make a one-off payment to (i) Mr Hale and (ii) Mr Clayton on his departure from the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Paul Goggins: As the Northern Ireland Police Fund's status is a company limited by guarantee, severance payments are a matter for the Fund.
	In line with standard Corporate Governance arrangements the Department discusses a range of issues in relation to Fund business on a regular basis.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether decisions made by the directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund are subject to ratification by  (a) the Secretary of State,  (b) the Minister of State and (c) officials in his Department.

Paul Goggins: Given that the Northern Ireland Police Fund is a company limited by guarantee, there is no requirement for decisions made by the directors of the Fund to be ratified by the Department.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether  (a) Ms A Paisley,  (b) Mrs. F Reid,  (c) Lord Rogan,  (d) Mr. R Wilson and  (e) Sir John Semple gave reasons other than the end of their term of office for their resignations as Directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Paul Goggins: The resignation of directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund is a matter for the Fund. However I am given to understand that none of the former directors listed have cited issues related to the events in the Fund as their reason for resigning.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether  (a) the board and  (b) any member of the board of the Northern Ireland Police Fund requested the advice of (i) the then Secretary of State, (ii) the Minister of State and (iii) Northern Ireland civil servants regarding (A) Mr. Thomas Hale's contract of employment, (B) Mr. Desmond Clayton's contract of employment, (C) financial payments made by the Fund to solicitors representing either Mr. Hale or Mr. Clayton and (D) the contents of a Northern Ireland Office audit of the Fund.

Paul Goggins: No advice was requested.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether he interviewed any directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund in relation to the 2003 breaches of security at  (a) the Fund and  (b) the Police Rehabilitation and Retraining Trust.

Paul Goggins: A full police investigation has been carried out in relation to alleged breaches of security. This investigation has now been completed and involved a comprehensive programme of interviews. No persons have been prosecuted as a result of this investigation. It would not be appropriate to comment on the operational detail of the investigation as such issues are a matter for the Chief Constable.
	The Department did not interview any of the directors. The investigation was a matter for the Chief Constable.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Police Service of Northern Ireland discussed with his Department the surveillance carried out in relation to Mr Thomas Hale's selling of counterfeit goods at the Maryfield complex in advance of the operation.

Paul Goggins: It is not the policy of PSNI to discuss matters in relation to the surveillance of subjects during the course of investigations.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) meetings and  (b) correspondence there has been between representatives of his Department and the directors of the Northern Ireland Police Fund about (i) developing the role of the Fund and (ii) systems failures within the Fund.

Paul Goggins: As part of the standard Corporate Governance arrangements regular meetings are held and correspondence exchanged on a range of issues relating to the business of the Northern Ireland Police Fund.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the Northern Ireland Police Fund discussed with  (a) the then Secretary of State for Northern Ireland,  (b) the Minister of State and  (c) civil servants the payment made by the fund to L'Estrange and Brett Solicitors.

Paul Goggins: Payments made by the Northern Ireland Police Fund are a matter for the Fund.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the payment made by the Northern Ireland Police Fund to L'Estrange and Brett Solicitors was subject to  (a) prior approval by (i) the Secretary of State, (ii) the Minister of State and (iii) civil servants and  (b) audit by the Department.

Paul Goggins: Given that the Northern Ireland Police Fund is a company limited by guarantee, payments are a matter for the fund.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on which matters the Northern Ireland Police Fund routinely  (a) seeks advice and  (b) reports to the Department.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Police Fund seeks advice and reports to the Department in line with standard corporate governance arrangements and practices.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) full-time and  (b) part-time Police Service of Northern Ireland officers there were in each of the last three years for which figures are available, broken down by rank.

Paul Goggins: The requested figures for July each year are as follows:
	
		
			  Rank  2004  2005  2006 
			 Chief Constable 1 1 1 
			 Deputy Chief Constable 1 1 1 
			 Assistant Chief Constable 6 6 5 
			 Chief Superintendent 24 25 22 
			 Superintendent 80 75 87 
			 Chief Inspector 117 96 65 
			 Inspector 408 390 439 
			 Sergeant 1,128 1,100 1,133 
			 Constable 5,645 5,781 5,744 
			 Total 7,410 7,475 7,497 
			 
			 R/Constable Full-Time 1,517 1,208 924 
			 R/Constables Part-Time 923 913 784

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the sickness levels were within the Police Service of Northern Ireland in  (a) the Ards,  (b) the Castlereagh and  (c) the Down District Command Units in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The PSNI average work days lost over the last three years for police officers and police staff in Ards, Castlereagh and Down District Command Units are as follows:
	
		
			  Average work days lost per police officer 
			  Financial year  Ards DCU  Down DCU  Castlereagh DCU 
			 2003-04 17.77 20.12 19.70 
			 2004-05 17.56 14.33 21.30 
			 2005-06 12.11 6.46 14.18 
		
	
	
		
			  Average work day lost per police staff member 
			  Financial year  Ards DCU  Down DCU  Castlereagh DCU 
			 2003-04 12.13 17.06 23.07 
			 2004-05 16.60 14.33 17.77 
			 2005-06 19.69 15.13 21.85

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many officers of the Police Service of Northern Ireland were assaulted in  (a) the Ards,  (b) the Castlereagh and  (c) the Down District Command Units in each of the last three years; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The number of 'assault on police' offences recorded is as follows:
	
		
			  District Command Unit  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Ards 52 72 50 
			 Castlereagh 24 25 26 
			 Down 72 101 108 
		
	
	These figures do not include all instances in which a police office was assaulted. Assaults resulting in serious injury eg wounding or GBH, are not included as they are counted in the specific wounding or GBH categories and these figures are not broken down by the occupation of the victim.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland 
	(1)  how many Police Service of Northern Ireland applicants progressed to the merit pool of suitably qualified candidates in each of the recruitment campaigns completed since the creation of the service, broken down by  (a) religion and  (b) sex; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the  (a) religion and  (b) sex was of applicants appointed as constables to the Police Service of Northern Ireland as a result of each competition that has been completed since the creation of the Service; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: I am advised by the PSNI that the number of applicants who progressed to the merit pool of suitably qualified candidates in each of the recruitment campaigns completed since the creation of the service, broken down by  (a) religion and  (b) sex; and the  (a) religion and  (b) sex of applicants appointed as constables to the Police Service of Northern Ireland as a result of each respective competition is set out in the following tables:
	
		
			  Candidates in merit pool competitions 1 to 9 
			  Competition No.  Male  Female  Protestant  Catholic  Not determined  Total 
			 1 393 199 406 172 14 592 
			 2 322 122 334 108 2 444 
			 3 301 94 301 94 0 395 
			 4 514 308 599 214 9 822 
			 5 617 424 749 281 11 1,041 
			 6 555 312 649 211 7 867 
			 7 494 264 571 180 7 758 
			 8 679 436 798 306 11 1,115 
			 9 520 304 600 215 9 824 
		
	
	
		
			  Police trainee intakes competitions 1 to 9 
			  Competition No.  Male  Female  Protestant  Catholic  Not determined  Total 
			 1 199 106 149 153 3 305 
			 2 134 62 97 98 1 196 
			 3 129 37 83 83 0 166 
			 4 242 160 197 201 4 402 
			 5 182 117 148 149 2 299 
			 6 185 115 146 150 4 300 
			 7 168 102 134 134 2 270 
			 8 114 100 107 106 1 214 
			 9 122 45 81 75 1 157 
		
	
	The PSNI continues to attract large numbers of high calibre applicants from throughout the community. With the large number of applications to join the Police Service, the number of suitable candidates is far in excess of the finite number of trainee posts available. This means that candidates of both religious traditions and genders will sadly experience the disappointment of an unsuccessful application.
	The latest campaign saw the highest number of applications yet, with 7,691 applicants competing for 220 places. 37 per cent. of these applications were from the Catholic community, which is the highest rate to date, and the number of female and ethnic minority applications has increased.
	In terms of religion, the Government believe that the temporary recruitment provisions are necessary and reasonable to correct an historic imbalance in the composition of the PSNI. These exceptional measures are reviewed every three years, with the next, and hopefully final, such review due later this year. This will be subject to detailed review of the policy, extensive consultation, and debate in both Houses.
	Catholic composition in the PSNI regulars has increased from 8.3 per cent. to 20.05 per cent. Our goal is to increase Catholic representation to 30 per cent. by 2010-11, the date envisaged by Patten. I am pleased to say that we are on track to meet this, which would not be possible if the 50:50 provisions were not in place.
	Although our efforts have focused on the imbalance between the number of Catholics and Protestants in the composition of the Police Service, we also recognise the importance of gender and ethnic minority representation. It is notable that female composition has risen from 13 per cent. to 20.54 per cent. and the ethnic minority background composition compares favourably with the overall level of the working age ethnic minority population in Northern Ireland.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers were stationed in the Ards District Command Unit in each of the last five years.

Paul Goggins: The number of PSNI officers attached to Ards DCU in July of each year is as follows:
	
		
			   Regular  Full-time reserve  Part-time reserve 
			 2001 135 54 91 
			 2002 121 49 86 
			 2003 137 53 78 
			 2004 144 37 74 
			 2005 152 28 69 
			 2006 144 20 56

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what policing resources are available in the Ards District Command Unit (DCU) at weekends in  (a) Donaghadee,  (b) Comber,  (c) Newtownards and  (d) the rural areas of the DCU; and what impact the proposed changes to the structure of policing in the DCU will have on the level of cover at weekends.

Paul Goggins: Extra resources are deployed at week-ends in Ards District Command Unit and this will continue. The response crews parading for duty at Newtownards and Portaferry will continue to patrol the whole of the District Command Unit. There will be no change to the level of cover at weekends.
	Ards DCU has a total established policing contingent of 220 officers.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken in the Ards District Command Unit (DCU) of the Police Service of Northern Ireland to tackle  (a) the sale of stolen and counterfeit goods,  (b) robberies and burglaries,  (c) violent crime against the person,  (d) drug use and dealing,  (e) paramilitary activity,  (f) car crime,  (g) speeding and  (h) race hate crime; and what impact the proposed changes to the structure of policing in the DCU will have on this work.

Paul Goggins: The nature and volume of reported crime in Ards District Command Unit is kept under constant examination through the National Intelligence Model. When specific hotspots or trends arise they are addressed primarily by proactive units (including Community Policing Teams). The increase in Community Policing Teams will provide a greater capacity to address many of these areas, specifically relating to antisocial behaviour.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what changes are proposed to the  (a) structure and  (b) manpower of the Ards District Command Unit of the Police Service of Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: It is intended that response crews will be based in Portaferry and Ards Town. They will parade for duty at these locations, be briefed and thereafter provide an emergency response and patrol capability across the whole District Command Unit area.
	Community Policing Teams in Comber and Donaghadee will be increased in number while those in Newtownards and Portaferry will remain at their current strengths.
	The number of officers attached to Ards District Command Unit is dictated centrally and reflects the overall numbers of Regular and Reserve Officers within PSNI.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers stationed in the Ards District Command Unit (DCU) on average were on out of station duties during a shift in the last period for which figures are available; what impact the proposed changes to the structure of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the Ards DCU will have on this cover; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The deployment of police officers in individual District Command Units is a matter for the Commander in charge of that area.
	The proposed structural changes within Ards will ensure that the District continues to provide immediate response to emergencies whilst directing extra officers towards problem solving and proactive activities which address those areas of concern specifically highlighted by the public.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many Police Service of Northern Ireland officers work within the Ards District Command Unit, broken down by principal duty conducted by each officer; and how many are expected to work in the Unit by the end of 2006.

Paul Goggins: The number of police officers and their area of work as of July 06 is as follows:
	
		
			  Function  Supt.  Chief Insp.  Insp.  Sgt.  Con.  R/Con FT  R/Con PT  Total 
			 Beat/Patrol5 63 6 56 130 
			 Community Involvement1 1   2 
			 Courts Officer  1  1 
			 Crime Intelligence Officer 2   2 
			 Crime Prevention 1   1 
			 Crime Team1 4   5 
			 Crime Controller 1   1 
			 Criminal Justice   1 1 
			 Crime Manager   1 1 
			 Custody Officer44 
			 DCU Commander 1   1 
			 DCU Training 1   1 
			 Detective1 10   11 
			 Domestic Violence 1   1 
			 FTR Retraining  10  10 
			 Intelligence11 
			 Criminal Justice1 7   8 
			 Motorcyclist 2   2 
			 Neighbourhood Police4 10 1  15 
			 Operations   2 2 
			 Ops Manager  1  1 
			 Ops Planning Officer1 3   4 
			 Prisoner Security  1  1 
			 Quality Service11 
			 SDO 1   1 
			 Sector Commander   3 3 
			 Administration 1   1 
			 Station Sergeant11 
			 Trainee Constable 4   4 
			 VIP Escort  1  1 
			 Youth Diversion 2   2 
			 Total 1 1 7 21 114 20 56 220 
		
	
	It is expected that that these numbers will remain relatively constant until the end of 2006.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what impact the changes to the structure of the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the Ards District Command Unit (DCU) will have on the delivery of policing in  (a) Donaghadee,  (b) Comber,  (c) Newtownards and  (d) the rural areas of the DCU; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: It is intended to increase the number of officers attached to Community Policing Teams in Comber and Donaghadee thus providing a better service to the public in those areas. The service to the remainder of the Command Unit will remain unaffected.

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many call-outs were made to the Police Service of Northern Ireland in the Ards District Command Unit in each of the last four years; and where the call-outs were made from.

Paul Goggins: The only statistics readily available are for incidents dealt with in each station area. These are as follows:
	
		
			   2002  2003  2004  2005 
			 Comber 2,820 2,472 2,240 1,771 
			 Donaghadee 2,546 2,159 1,689 1,354 
			 Greyabbey 1,234 1,432 1,458 1,178 
			 Newtownards 9,380 8,947 8,082 5,985 
			 Portaferry 952 756 741 766 
			 Total 16,932 15,766 14,210 11,054

Police Service of Northern Ireland

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the  (a) operational status and  (b) opening hours are of each of the police stations in the Ards District Command Unit; and if he will make a statement.

Paul Goggins: The operational status and the opening times for police stations in Ards DCU are as follows:
	
		
			  Station  Status  Opening Times 
			 Newtownards Fully operational 24 hour opening 
			 Comber Limited opening Monday-Saturday 6pm-7pm 
			 Donaghadee Limited opening Monday/Wednesday/Friday 6pm-7pm Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday 12noon-lpm 
			 Portaferry Limited opening Monday/Wednesday/Friday 7pm-8pm Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday lpm-2pm 
			 Greyabbey Not operational Community Policing Team Surgery Wednesday 6pm-8pm Friday 2pm-4pm

Port of Belfast

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps are being taken by his Department's  (a) officials,  (b) political advisers and  (c) Strategic Investment Board in relation to the future of the Port of Belfast.

David Cairns: The Government recognises that a successful ports industry is crucial to the success and well being of Northern Ireland.
	A consultation paper seeking views on the powers, status and governance of all public trust ports in Northern Ireland was published on 21 June 2006 and forms part of a wider United Kingdom consultation on ports policy issues.
	I expect officials, political advisers and the Strategic Investment Board to provide advice as necessary on the issues raised in the consultation.

Preserved Buildings and Architecture

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland which document sets out the definitive list of preserved buildings and architecture in Northern Ireland; and when it was last  (a) updated and  (b) published.

David Cairns: The list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest is available to view in the headquarters of the Built Heritage Directorate of Environment and Heritage Servicean agency within the Department of the Environment, in Waterman House, 5-33 Hill Street, Belfast. It is also available on the internet at www.ehsni.gov.uk.
	The EHS website is updated every Thursday, and the list was last updated on 5 October 2006. The list is not published per se but is made available to any interested party through the internet.

Preserved Buildings and Architecture

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what responsibility existing local authorities in Northern Ireland have to  (a) inspect historic, preserved buildings and architecture and  (b) suggest additional properties for preservation; who has oversight of such properties which are within local authority ownership; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The existing local councils in Northern Ireland have responsibility to inspect buildings through their Building Control and Health and Safety functions. They do not have specific responsibility in regard to historic buildings. They have no responsibility to suggest properties for preservation but (through the Department of the Environment's Environment and Heritage Service) they are at liberty to do so. The Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland has responsibility for drawing up the list of buildings of 'special architectural or historic interest' and considering changes to these buildings through the process of Listed Building Consent. Council properties are equally subject to these controls.

Preserved Buildings and Architecture

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what measures he plans to protect further the Regency and Georgian architecture of buildings in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: The Department of the Environment will continue to be resourced to identify buildings of interest including Regency and Georgian architecture and to record them. Those considered to have special architectural or historic interest will be added to the list. There is currently a grant-aid budget of 2.4 million for the repair and maintenance of the historic fabric of listed buildings. This funding is set to increase with effect from 1 April 2007. Extra staff resources have been deployed to deal with significant increases in planning applications for listed buildings. The Buildings at Risk project has been expanded this year in a partnership agreement with the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. Planning Service has received and devoted increased resources in recent years to enforcement and prosecutions.
	Also, as part of the review of public administration, it is proposed that the new local councils will have the power to draw up lists of locally important buildings that will extend protection to this category. This may include some previously unprotected buildings of the period.

Preserved Buildings and Architecture

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what enforcement actions have been taken in each year for which records have been maintained since direct rule began to require restoration of Regency and Georgian architecture.

David Cairns: The Planning Service has no record of any enforcement action specifically requiring the restoration of Regency and Georgian architecture.

Preserved Buildings and Architecture

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what register and records are maintained of Regency and Georgian architecture within Northern Ireland; what inspections are made  (a) to ensure their maintenance,  (b) to ensure their restoration,  (c) to prevent deterioration and  (d) to add to orders requiring preservation; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: In Northern Ireland the Historic Buildings Record is the principal register of historic buildings including Regency and Georgian Architecture in the region. This is published on line at www.ehsni.gov.uk. The record is supplemented in some cases by more detailed information contained in the Monuments and Buildings Record at the offices of the Environment and Heritage Service in Hill Street in Belfast.
	The Department has five senior conservation architects each of whom is responsible for an area within Northern Ireland. Their work in assessing planning applications, grant applications and reviewing listings involves an awareness of the condition of the wider stock of listed buildings within their area. Through there are currently no resources devoted specifically to the systematic monitoring of listed buildings, including listed Regency and Georgian architecture, the Department is making inspections of the listed building stock and is aware of many of the issues facing these buildings.
	Not all Regency and Georgian buildings are protected by listing. Unless the buildings are protected as part of an area based designation there is no inspection apart from the listing survey. In order to protect buildings considered to be at risk the Department may
	1. serve a Building Preservation Notice
	2. issue an Urgent Works Notice
	3. serve a Repairs Notice, or ultimately acquire the building

Preserved Buildings and Architecture

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will list the Regency and Georgian properties within the ownership or control of  (a) his Department,  (b) the NHS in Northern Ireland and  (c) other departments and agencies for which he is responsible; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only atdisproportionate cost.

Prisons

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what educational opportunities are available to  (a) remand and  (b) serving prisoners in each of the prison facilities in Northern Ireland; and what the recent take up has been of those opportunities.

Paul Goggins: During 2005-06 the Northern Ireland Prison Service held a total of eight thousand seven hundred and eighty educational sessions across its three establishments. These included both sentenced and remand prisoners wishing to engage in education. The recent uptake of educational opportunities in each establishment is as follows:
	 Hydebank Wood Young Offenders Centre and Prison
	On average there are approximately 140 sessions for males and 60 for females per month. All classes are mixed remand and sentenced prisoners with attendance levels for those signed up to education at around 60 per cent.
	 Maghaberry Prison
	On average there are approximately 440 sessions per month (sentenced 296; remand 144). Attendance figures for those signed up to education are approximately 70 per cent. for sentenced; 40 per cent. for remand. Average 60 per cent.
	 Magilligan Prison
	On average there are approximately 440 sessions per month.. Attendance levels for those signed up to education are approximately 70 per cent.
	While uptake for sessions is close to 100 per cent., actual attendance levels are reduced for a variety of reasons including family visits, court appearances and legal or medical consultations.
	A wide range of educational subjects are taught and are listed below:
	A Level English
	Aromatherapy
	Art
	Art (Circus)
	Bible Study
	B-Tec Diploma
	CAD
	CLAIT
	Community Dialogue
	Cookery
	Craft
	Creative Writing
	Dancing
	Drama Group
	Essential SkillsEnglish
	Essential SkillsMaths
	Fly-tying
	GCSE English
	GCSE History
	GCSE Law
	GCSE Maths
	Hairdressing
	Hairdressing
	ICT
	Irish
	Leather craft
	Music
	One to One Tutorials
	Open Learning Support
	Open University Support
	Rural Issues
	Yoga

Prisons

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans his Department has for the provision of additional prison places in Northern Ireland for  (a) male and  (b) female prisoners.

Paul Goggins: The Northern Ireland Prison Service has developed a comprehensive estate strategy. As a first step in implementation, the service is currently conducting a tender exercise for the provision of two 60 cell ready to use units, one each at Maghaberry and Magilligan for operational use by late 2007. A decision will shortly be taken on whether to extend the Maghaberry unit to 120 cells, in the light of continuing increases in the prison population. The service can also bring additional accommodation into use in the period before then, if required.
	The service has already accepted that Ash House at Hydebank Wood is not an appropriate long term facility for female prisoners. Consideration is being given to the development of alternative options on the site, as it would not be cost effective to provide a separate establishment.

Questionnaires

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many  (a) questionnaires,  (b) statistical inquiries and  (c) investigations have been carried out wholly or partly at public expense on behalf of or by his Department or public bodies for which he is responsible in each year since 1997; and what the (i) nature, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost was of each.

David Hanson: The information requested is not readily available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Race Hate Crime

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much has been spent on tackling race hate crime by encouraging community education and awareness in each of the last five years; and on which projects and initiatives.

David Hanson: The Northern Ireland Departments, Northern Ireland Office and the Police Service for Northern Ireland have funded a number of projects to tackle racism and race hate crime. However, it is not possible to identify what resources have been allocated to community education and awareness activities as this forms part of a number of projects and information is not held in an appropriate format. Examples of activities that have been supported by the above agencies include campaigns, ethnic awareness events, soccer tournaments, migrant worker handbooks and DVD, information leaflets and distribution of 'Respect Difference' wrist bands.

Rates

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 16 May 2006,  Official Report, columns 885-6W, on rates, how many domestic properties in Northern Ireland have been identified as having each of the 12 different site positive codes.

David Hanson: The number of domestic properties in Northern Ireland having each of the 12 different site positive codes is as follows:
	
		
			  Counts of site positive features recorded 
			  Site positive feature  Frequency  Percentage 
			 Sea Frontage 635 4.1 
			 Sea View 4,098 26.5 
			 Sea View Limited 2,415 15.6 
			 Water Frontage 220 1.4 
			 Water View 1,114 7.2 
			 Water View Limited 1,108 7.2 
			 Other Premium View Full 620 4.0 
			 Other Premium View Limited 317 2.0 
			 Adjoining Parkland 511 3.3 
			 Adjoining Golf Course 605 3.9 
			 Conservation Area 3,147 20.3 
			 Other positive 684 4.4 
			 Total 15,474 100.0 
			  Note:  Analysis only includes properties valued by CAMA

Rates

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will place in the Library a copy of the presentation by Brian McClure of the Northern Ireland Office on rating reform in Northern Ireland given to the Scottish Local Government Finance Review Committee on 3 March 2006.

David Hanson: A copy of the paper has been placed in the Library.

Rates

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what multiple regression formula was used as part of the Valuation and Land Agency's Automated Valuation Model for the rates revaluation; and if he will name each variable in the model.

David Hanson: The multiplicative regression formulae used are an established technique in automated valuation modelling that capture non-linear and interactive relationships present in real estate markets.
	25 separate regional models were constructed encompassing all of Northern Ireland and are of the example form:
	where,
	CV is estimated capital value
	Area is habitable space
	Class_121 is public sector built housing
	DET is detached properties
	Etc.
	 Variables included:
	Habitable Space (m(2))
	Ancillary area (m(2))
	Outbuilding Size (m(2))
	Classification (i.e. public-built or private built)
	Sub-classification (i.e. detached, semi-detached, terrace)
	Neighbourhood
	Grade of construction
	Number of Storeys
	Heating type
	Type of water service
	Type of sewerage service
	Type of power service
	Difficulty/ease of access to property
	Garage type
	Site positive features
	Site negative features
	Level of External Repair
	Location (i.e. urban, suburban, rural village, rural remote)
	Construction Era (i.e. pre-1919, 1920-1939, etc)
	Sale type (i.e. New-build/2nd-hand sale).
	It should be noted that only variables that significantly contributed to value in each region were included in the respective models.

Rates

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland when he expects local authorities to publish figures for the average effective tax rate for the new domestic rates system of discrete capital values.

David Cairns: District councils are required by statute to fix their rates no later than 15 February each year. The actual domestic and non-domestic rates for each of the 26 councils are then published by the Department of the Environment. Domestic rates struck in February 2007 will be based on the capital value of properties and will be published locally in the normal way.
	The average domestic rate for Northern Ireland is determined by using the same formula applied by councils for fixing their individual rate but is calculated on the basis of their accumulative figures. This will be circulated to councils and other interested bodies and will be contained in the District Councils (Northern Ireland) Rate Statistics booklet, which will be published later in the year.

Rates

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel Press Release of 3 July 2006, on domestic rates revaluation, what proportion of the 55 per cent. of homeowners who will see no change or a decrease in their rates burden will experience  (a) no change and  (b) a decrease.

David Hanson: For those households facing either no change or a decrease in their share of the rates burden, the proportion which will experience no change is estimated at 3 per cent. (where 'no change' is defined as a decrease of less than 1 per cent.). Thus, approximately 97 per cent. of these households will see a decrease in their share of the rates burden (i.e. of greater than 1 per cent.).
	These figures have been arrived at through comparing actual rate bills under the current NAV system in 2006-07 with estimates of what rate bills would have been in 2006-07, had the new capital value based system been in place this year.

Renewable Energy Household Programme

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland on what criteria applications for grant assistance for installation of solar hot water systems as part of the Renewable Energy Household programme will be judged.

Maria Eagle: My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland launched the Household programme on Monday 24 July as the first initiative to provide funding for homes under the 59 million Environment and Renewable Energy Fund (EREF). Householders are eligible to apply for assistance under this programme, which will provide up to 50 per cent. of the cost of installation of renewable energy systems, including solar hot water systems provided they own the property and it is used primarily for domestic purposes. The grant will be offered on the applicant's choice of technology on a first-come first-served basis. Applicants will need to satisfy themselves in advance that their property is suitable for their chosen technology and obtain two quotations from an approved installer. Advice is available for the schemes managing agent on both these aspects.
	Some funding from the Household programme has been set aside to install 500 solar hot water systems in private households that are deemed to be in fuel poverty. Assistance at 100 per cent. of the cost of installation is available for these cases through the Department for Social Development. The criteria used to select homes for this assistance will be based on the eligibility criteria for the existing warm homes scheme as well as conditions relating to the suitability of the property including suitable orientation needed to benefit from the solar energy. Selection will initially be carried out by the warm homes managing agent from the database of homes that have previously received other energy-related assistance under the Warm Homes programme.
	In addition to the Household programme, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive will receive funding of 1.8 million over two years under the EREF to install 600 solar hot water panels in their stock. Installation will be applied to dwellings that are in heating conversion schemes and, again, suitability of the property, including suitable orientation, will be the key selection criteria.

Royal Victoria Hospital

Alasdair McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether his Department plans to increase  (a) funding and  (b) other resources for the specialist burns unit at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast; and what assessment he has made of the (i) preparedness and (ii) capacity of the unit to cope with a major incident.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety is working with the Health and Personal Social Services to develop a framework for the future provision of the plastics service in Northern Ireland. This is expected to include a managed clinical network for plastics and burns services.
	In this context, the need for additional consultants has been identified, including a burns specialist based at the Royal Group of Hospitals. Service improvements have been agreed, and include a commitment to increase the number of plastic surgeons from seven to 10. This additional investment will permit the burns service to appoint additional staff to enhance services.
	Northern Ireland currently contributes to the National Burns Bed Bureau. The Bed Bureau was established two years ago and is hosted by West Midlands Ambulance Service. It contacts all of the burns services in England, Wales and Northern Ireland twice daily to obtain accurate information about bed availability so that if contacted by either an Accident and Emergency Department or a burns service needing extra beds it can respond immediately.
	In addition, in the event of a major incident, the Trust's Major Incident plan would be activated. This would be supported by the National Burns Care Major Incident plan, which would make beds available in other units as required.

Rural Tourism

Gregory Campbell: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he is taking to promote rural tourism in East Londonderry in 2006.

Maria Eagle: The Northern Ireland Tourist Board's (NITB) role is to promote and develop tourism in Northern Ireland and it is committed to working with strategic partners and providers to promote rural tourism. The development and promotion of the tourism potential of East Londonderry will take place in the context of the Tourism Strategic Framework for Action (SFA) and the Causeway Masterplan. Current activities include the signposting of the Causeway Coastal Route and funding support for a tourism development strategy for the Limavady Council area.
	Two major programmes in the SFA are Signature Projects and Winning Themes. As well as potential spin-off benefits from its location between the Signature Projects of Giants Causeway and the Walled City of Derry the area can benefit from the planned promotion and marketing of the Short Break, Activity Tourism and Culture and Heritage Winning Themes in particular during 2006.
	NITB is also actively encouraging the creation of a Regional Tourism Partnership to include East Londonderry which will address, amongst other things, destination management including product development, visitor servicing, marketing, training and local stakeholder buy-in.

Schooner Result

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the  (a) current condition of and  (b) maintenance programme and preservation work carried out on the schooner  Result; and what progress has been made in completing a long-term plan for its exhibition.

Maria Eagle: A programme of conservation works has been carried out on the  Result since her acquisition by the Ulster Folk and Transport Museum in 1970. Much of this work has been directed towards the protection of the hull of the vessel which, according to a recent report by a leading maritime conservator, is in good condition. Other steps taken to preserve the vessel have included the fitting of an awning to protect it from the elements and the provision of a hatch to facilitate access and on-going maintenance work, both measures having been recommended by the specialist maritime conservator.
	The museum has undertaken to explore options for the restoration and long-term exhibition of the vessel.

Security Force Informants

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make a statement on the role played by security force informants in Northern Ireland during the troubles.

Paul Goggins: The hon. Gentleman will be aware that it is Government policy never to comment on specific national security and intelligence matters.

Sentencing System

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will take steps to bring the law in Northern Ireland into line with that in England and Wales following the decision by the Prime Minister to overhaul the sentencing system for convicted criminals; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: Last year the Northern Ireland Office undertook a public consultation on the Review of the Sentencing Framework in Northern Ireland which covered many of the sentencing issues which will be the subject of further consultation in England and Wales. I will shortly be examining policy options considered in the review and the responses to the consultation. Protection of the public will be a central consideration.

Social Security Agency

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many benefit awards have been examined by the Social Security Agency's Active Case Management Unit since its inception; and how many of the awards examined were  (a) increased and  (b) decreased.

David Hanson: From its inception in 1999, the Active Case Management Unit has examined 13,440 benefits awards.
	Of these 2,889 awards have been increased and 2,852 awards have been decreased.

Special Needs Education

Mark Durkan: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how much funding has been allocated to special needs education in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years, broken down by parliamentary constituency.

Maria Eagle: The following table shows how much funding has been reported by the Education and Library Boards (ELBs) in their accrued expenditure reports to the Department of Education as having been allocated to special needs education in Northern Ireland in each of the last five years. The information requested is not available by constituency in Northern Ireland. The response provided is therefore by Education and Library Board area and is rounded to the nearest million.
	
		
			  Million 
			   BELB  NEELB  SEELB  SELB  WELB  Total 
			 2000-01 17 14 21 15 13 80 
			 2001-02 19 16 23 17 16 91 
			 2002-03 21 18 27 19 18 103 
			 2003-04 26 21 32 22 23 124 
			 2004-05 28 22 31 25 27 133 
		
	
	Over the same five year period additional funding of approximately 14m has been allocated by the Department of Education to support statemented pupils in the voluntary grammar and grant-maintained integrated sectors.

Tourism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what research he has commissioned to establish the value of tourism linked to genealogy to the Northern Ireland economy; what steps have been taken  (a) to establish links with this sector and  (b) to promote tourism to Northern Ireland to this sector; and how much has been allocated to such measures in each of the past 10 years.

David Cairns: While Government have not commissioned any research into the tourism or economic value of genealogy, the culture, arts and leisure sector make a contribution to genealogy tourism as follows:
	The Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI) is a unique resource for those interested in genealogy. It holds 54 kilometres of archives, both public records and those deposited by private individuals and bodies. Some 40 per cent. of PRONI on-site users are from outside the UK and most are researching their families. The PRONI website has searchable databases that link catalogue descriptions and images of documents of genealogical value, and more such databases will be made available. PRONI is presently developing an on-line searchable cataloguethe Electronic Catalogue for Northern Ireland (eCATNI)that will provide access to the vast quantity of catalogue descriptions, in many cases down to individual document level. In all, some 1.29 million has been invested in this range of developments. Furthermore, PRONI has been in discussions with a range of genealogical interests within the broader context of the Archives Policy for Northern Ireland, an initiative intended to position archives in Northern Ireland for the 21st century.
	Tourist Information Points are a feature within most branch libraries. Most Education and Library Boards hold local history collections and these routinely deal with enquiries on personal family history from visitors from both home and overseas. Boards maintain links with PRONI, regional and local museum services, and a wide range of local and family history groups.
	Within the Western Education Board's library service, support is provided for the Centre for Migration Studies which deals with personal family history enquiries from 5,000 annual visitors. The centre maintains links with overseas museums, Irish and family history agencies, tour companies, public library network, and US college network. It is an active member of the Association of European Migration Institutions (AEMI) and hosts the Ulster American Heritage Symposium which is held alternately in the US and Northern Ireland. The only identifiable cost is for the Centre for Migration Studies for which the Western Board receives approximately 100,000 per annum. All other costs are subsumed in the overall running costs of the library service.
	The NITB's Northern Ireland Passenger Survey identified that in 2005 11,600 visitors participated in genealogical activity during their visit and for a further 4,000 it was the actual reason for the visit (excludes visitors from/via Republic of Ireland). Numbers have grown by 71 per cent. from 2000-05 with growth mainly concentrated in the participated category. No estimate of the value of the sector to the economy is available.
	NITB has not allocated identifiable funds to any genealogy specific projects in the past 10 years. However, a range of websites promotes access to genealogy. The NITB consumer website, www. discovernorthernireland.com, provides background information for potential visitors and links to 10 search organisations in Northern Ireland. Costs are subsumed in the running costs of the website. The Tourism Ireland website also carries genealogy for the island as a whole and references the Irish Genealogical Project as a link which connects to a range of suppliers both north and south.
	NITB worked with the Ulster Scots Agency this year in producing the new NITB American Connection publication which has genealogy as one of four key themes.

Tourism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will allocate funding for the 400th anniversary celebrations of the role of Scots in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Eagle: The Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure jointly funds the Ulster-Scots Agency which has indicated that it will spend in the region of 150,000 of its budget in 2006 on the celebration of the 400th anniversary of the Scots settlers.

Tourism

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland if he will make representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland on the preservation of the home of Lord Edward Carson at 4 Harcourt Square, Dublin; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: I will make representations to my counterpart in the Irish Government to consider the preservation of the home of Lord Edward Carson at 4 Harcourt Square, Dublin.

Tribunals (Irish Language)

Iris Robinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many requests for  (a) disability living allowance tribunals and  (b) incapacity benefit tribunals to be heard in the Irish language there have been in Northern Ireland in each of the last 10 years.

David Hanson: As the Appeals Service (NI) was only established in April 2000 it is not possible to provide the requested information for years prior to 2000-01. The information has therefore been provided for each full year from April 2000 to March 2006.
	
		
			  Appeals received and requests for tribunals to be heard in Irish language by benefit type1 April 2000 to 31 March 2006 
			   Disability appeals  Incapacity benefit 
			   Appeals received  Requests to be heard in Irish language  Appeals received  Requests to be heard in Irish language 
			 2001 10,517 0 6,808 0 
			 2002 11,760 0 4,879 0 
			 2003 8,823 0 4,614 0 
			 2004 9,120 0 3,905 0 
			 2005 6,584 0 4,164 0 
			 2006 5,553 0 4,678 0 
			 Total 52,357 0 29,048 0 
			  Note:  Prior to April 2004 each component (care and mobility) of disability living allowance was counted as a separate appeal. This practice changed from 1 April 2004, when a disability living allowance appeal was counted as one appeal regardless of the number of components involved. The decrease in disability appeals received from April 2004 reflects this change.

Trust Ports

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland whether the measures recommended by the Department of Regional Development and approved by the Northern Ireland Assembly for the continuation of trust ports with extended commercial powers were implemented by the Department following the suspension of the Assembly.

David Cairns: The review of Northern Ireland trust ports completed in 1998 identified a need to improve the public accountability of the trust ports; to extend their commercial powers; and to ease existing financial controls. The Northern Ireland Assembly decided that improvements in public accountability should be put in place before commercial powers were enhanced. Legislation has now been introduced which gives the trust ports enhanced borrowing powers and which improves accountability.
	Proposals to legislate to provide extended commercial powers had not been completed when, following a ruling by the Office of National Statistics that certain trust ports within the United Kingdom should be classified as public corporations, it became a requirement from April 2005 that trust ports in Northern Ireland should operate within the public expenditure system. Taking trust ports out of the public expenditure system would require removing the controls relating to public accountability that the Assembly had considered should be in place before extended commercial powers were granted.
	These issues of powers, status and governance of public trust ports in Northern Ireland are currently being consulted upon by the Department for Regional Development.

UK-US Extradition Arrangements

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent representations he has made to the Foreign Secretary in relation to the ratification by the United States of the intended reciprocal extradition arrangements with the UK.

Peter Hain: I have made no representations to the Foreign Secretary.
	However, on 4 September this year I wrote to the US Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, to set out the Government's position in relation to the extradition of individuals for terrorist offences committed before the Good Friday Agreement in connection with Northern Ireland. This letter was shared with Senators on the Foreign Relations Committee, and is referred to in the Senate Resolution on the Treaty. I have placed a copy in the Library and sent it to the hon. Lady.
	Moreover, the Home Secretary and his officials have been in regular contact with the US Administration about the treaty for some time now.
	Following the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee decision to pass a resolution of advice and consent to ratify the treaty on 7 September 2006, I am pleased that the US Senate has now approved the resolution which we now hope will pave the way for the treaty to be ratified later this year by both the US and the UK.

Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what assessment he has made of the business case for the appointment of an additional consultant cardiologist submitted by the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust; and if he will make funding available to enable this appointment to take place.

Paul Goggins: The Department of Health Social Services and Public Safety has not received a business case for the appointment of an additional consultant cardiologist in the Ulster Community and Hospitals Trust, as it does not normally involve itself in the processing of specific posts.
	I am advised by the Eastern Health and Social Services Board that the Trust's medical workforce plan referred to two consultant cardiologists in post and consequently a third appointment was made. The Board is not aware of any proposals to further increase the number.

Valuation and Lands Agency (Data Protection)

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 707W, on the Valuation and Lands Agency (Data Protection), if he will place in the Library a copy of the most recent annual notification to the Information Commissioner's office.

David Hanson: A copy of the notification for the Department of Finance and Personnel (No. Z6543576), which expires on 6 May 2007, has been placed in the Library. The notification can also be examined online by entering the identification number Z6543576 at:
	http://www.esd.informationcommissioner.gov.uk/esd/DoSearch.asp

Valuation and Lands Agency (Data Protection)

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 707W, on the Valuation and Lands Agency (Data Protection), whether the Valuation and Lands Agency holds sensitive personal data in its automated valuation model for domestic rates.

David Hanson: The Valuation and Lands Agency's automated valuation model comprises a CAMA (computer assisted mass appraisal) software tool and valuation models developed for Northern Ireland localities.
	This system does not contain any sensitive personal data.

Vehicle Tests

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what steps he plans to take to reduce the delay in dates for vehicle tests in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement.

David Cairns: Despite an increase in demand of 22 per cent. since 1 April 2006, there has been a significant improvement in recent months. The average waiting time is currently 25 days against a target of 21 days. In order to maintain progress, a further recruitment exercise is currently under way.

Victims March (Dublin)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland pursuant to his answer of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, column 24W, on Victims March (Dublin) in the course of his discussions with the authorities in the Republic of Ireland following the attacks upon UK citizens in Dublin, what assurances he has sought regarding the future safety of UK citizens while in Dublin; and what assurances regarding the future safety of UK citizens in Dublin were received.

Peter Hain: As I stated in my previous response of 17 July 2006, the safety of Northern Ireland citizens whether in Dublin or Belfast or anywhere else remains paramount for me.

Water Service

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what the budget allocations to the Water Service were in each of the last five years.

David Hanson: The Chief Executive of Water Service (Mrs. Katharine Bryan) has been asked to write to the hon. Member in response to this question.
	 Letter from Mrs. Katharine Bryan, dated 11 September 2006:
	You recently asked the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland a Parliamentary Question about what the budget allocations to the Water Service were in each of the last five years (90710). I have been asked to reply as this issue falls within my responsibility as Chief Executive of Water Service.
	Over the last five years, Water Service has received a total budget allocation of 3.12 billion. The annual allocations making up this amount are tabled below. The figures represent the recorded full year budget allocation and include all amounts such as AME (cost of capital and depreciation) and capital allocations. The figure for 2006/07 reflects the allocation position at June.
	
		
			   million 
			  Budget year  Amount 
			 2002-03 616 
			 2003-04 509 
			 2004-05 631 
			 2005-06 703 
			 2006-07 662

Work Place 2010

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what  (a) empirical evidence and  (b) surveys were used to underpin the reliance in Work Place 2010 upon open plan office layouts as a means to increase staff productivity.

David Hanson: It is inherently difficult to establish a direct correlation between open plan working and productivity due to the range of contributory factors that can affect staff performance. There is, however, an overwhelming body of qualitative evidence about the positive impact of open plan working in both public and private sector organisations which has helped inform the decision to introduce it into the Northern Ireland Civil Service. The evidence includes findings from a number of major government departments such as Her Majesty's Treasury, the Ministry of Defence and the Home Office. For example, in the Treasury following a move to an open plan environment absenteeism reduced by more than 40 per cent.; staff turnover reduced substantially; over 75 per cent. of staff claimed they were much more productive; and levels of stress were perceived to be significantly lower.

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Additional Learning Needs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on the provision of adventure playgrounds or play facilities designed for pupils with additional learning needs.

Phil Woolas: Planning Policy Guidance 17: Planning for Open Space, Sport and Recreation provides the framework within which local authorities meet the differing and distinctive needs of local communities for recreational facilities and open spaces. This includes the provision of play areas for all children.
	The cross-Government Cleaner Safer Greener Communities programme supports the provision of quality public spaces that can be used by all members of the community. In 2003 the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (now the Department for Communities and Local Government) published Developing accessible play space: a good practice guide.
	Within schools the provision of specialised play equipment for pupils with additional learning needs is a matter for the Department for Education and Skills. Kidsactive receives grant funding from the DfES to deliver its Playwork Inclusion Project (PIP) to increase the numbers of disabled children being included in play out of school settings.
	These policies apply to England only.

Anglian Water

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will publish the minutes of the meetings between her officials and Anglian Water on 19 September 2005 concerning projected water supplies to new housing; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The meeting was arranged by Anglian Water, at which the company gave officials a detailed briefing of its plans for meeting increased demand from housing growth in its area of operation over the next 30 years. No minutes of the meeting were taken. However, Anglian Water has given evidence to the Examination in Public for the East of England Regional Spatial Strategy.

Better Regulation for Civil Society

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the Better Regulation Task Force report, Better Regulation for Civil SocietyMaking life easier for those who help others (November 2005).

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	Several recommendations of the Better Regulation Task Force's report have already been implemented, and work is under way on implementing some of the report's other recommendations and taking forward areas for further work. We expect to publish the Government's response to the report later this month.

Brownfield Sites

Jeff Ennis: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many homes have been built on brownfield sites in  (a) Barnsley and  (b) Doncaster in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: For Barnsley, the current regional target for homes to be built on previously developed land is 49 per cent. of the annual average (810) set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy. The figures for the number of homes built on brownfield sites are not readily available for the whole of the period 1997 to 2000. The following figures are taken from Barnsley's 2005 Local Development Framework Annual Monitoring Report. Percentages are rounded up where appropriate:
	
		
			   Number  Percentage of the annual average 
			 2000-01 356 44 
			 2001-02 324 40 
			 2002-03 437 54 
			 2003-04 446 55 
			 2004-05 563 70 
		
	
	For Doncaster, the current regional target for homes to be built on previously developed land is 70 per cent. of the annual average (735) set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy. The following figures are taken from Doncaster's 2005 Local Development Framework Annual Monitoring Report. Percentages are rounded up where appropriate.
	
		
			   Number  Percentage of the annual average 
			 1997-98 365 50 
			 1998-99 607 83 
			 1999-2000 604 82 
			 2000-01 316 43 
			 2001-02 97 13 
			 2002-03 297 40 
			 2003-04 578 79 
			 2004-05 592 81

Building Regulations

John Leech: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether developers will have a right of appeal against a decision of a failure to comply with the 2006 building regulations if their planning application  (a) has not been determined within the appropriate timescale and  (b) is determined after April 2006.

Angela Smith: holding answer 13 September 2006
	The introduction of the amended regulations on Part L (conservation of fuel and power) on 6 April 2006 had no effect on the various rights of appeal available to developers under the Building Act 1984.
	When there is a dispute between a local authority and a developer over whether plans comply with building regulations, the developer may apply to the Secretary of State under section 16(10) of the Act for a determination. Alternatively, in certain circumstances a developer can apply to the local authority to dispense with or relax a requirement of the building regulations on the grounds that its operation would be unreasonable in the particular case. If the local authority refuses such an application the developer may appeal to the Secretary of State under section 39 of the Act.
	However, a local authority cannot relax or dispense with the requirements of Part L in relation to renovations of existing buildings over 1,000m(2), or in any case the requirements of regulation 17C (target CO2 emission rates for new buildings).

Building Regulations

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what consideration she has given to amending the building regulations to include security requirements for new homes.

Angela Smith: The Building Act was amended to allow building regulations to be made for furthering the prevention or detection of crime in 2004. Since then we have considered the most appropriate way of improving the security of buildings. We are proposing to include security in the Code for Sustainable Homes, which will be launched later this year. This has the advantage of not taking as long to develop as a regulation, but will not be mandatory. We will monitor the take-up of the security section of the Code, and review the need for a building regulation in due course.

Business Rates

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the implications for small UK businesses of the proposal being considered by Sir Michael Lyons to allow local authorities to set the level of business rates.

Phil Woolas: Sir Michael Lyons is due to submit the report of his independent inquiry into local government funding, form and functions to my right hon. Friends the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and the Chancellor of the Exchequer in December 2006. We will consider his recommendations carefully once we have received his report.

Business Rates

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much was collected by her Department in business rates within the City of Westminster in each of the last five financial years; and what level of grant was awarded by her Department to Westminster city council for the provision of vital local government services in each year.

Phil Woolas: The City of Westminster's contribution to the national non-domestic rate pool between 2001-02 and 2005-06 is shown in the following table. Also shown is the level of Formula Grant given to the City of Westminster in the same period.
	
		
			   million 
			   Contribution to national non-domestic rate pool  Formula Grant 
			 2001-02 795 199 
			 2002-03 838 205 
			 2003-04 860 216 
			 2004-05 885 224 
			 2005-06 936 238 
		
	
	The contribution to national non-domestic rate pool data are taken from returns made by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government on NNDR3 returns.
	Formula Grant comprises Revenue Support Grant, National Non-Domestic Rates (NNDR) and principal Police Grant (not applicable here). The Formula Grant data for 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 are after the amending report.

Compulsory Purchase

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what changes the Government have made to compulsory purchase powers since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The changes to compulsory purchase powers are set out in the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Compulsory Purchase

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to reduce the time taken to process compulsory purchase orders referred to her Department by local authorities.

Yvette Cooper: The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 included a number of provisions to assist in the more rapid processing of compulsory purchase orders, including the power for acquiring authorities to be allowed to confirm their own orders if they are unopposed and certain other criteria are fulfilled, and a power for all types of compulsory purchase orders to be confirmed in stages where appropriate so that progress can be made on one part of a scheme despite there being reasons why the order cannot yet be confirmed in respect of another part of the order land. The Act also enabled the introduction of written representations procedure for dealing with objections to compulsory purchase orders as a quicker alternative to holding a public inquiry.

Correspondence

David Winnick: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when she will reply to the letter of 21 August from the hon. Member for Walsall, North on equal pay.

Meg Munn: A reply was sent to my hon. Friend on 5 October.

Council Tax

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will assess the merits of enabling residential homes for the elderly to be assessed collectively for council tax purposes.

Phil Woolas: Since 1 January 2004, units of self-contained living accommodation within care homes (within the meaning of the Care Standards Act 2000, in respect of which a person is registered in accordance with Part 2 of that Act) in England have been treated as comprising a single dwelling for council tax purposes, except that any accommodation provided for the registered person is banded separately.
	A very large majority of respondents to the Government's 2003 consultation on making this change in the council tax treatment of care homes supported the proposals. No respondents suggested that similar rules should also be applied to other residential homes not falling within the definition above, and we have no plans to change the current rules.

Council Tax

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of council tax discounts for energy-efficient homes.

Phil Woolas: The Government welcome local authority initiatives to encourage householders to reduce energy consumption. We said in the Energy Review, published in July 2006, that we would set out proposals that provide a framework to encourage all local authorities to take action on climate change, in the Local Government White Paper later this year.
	Most local authority council tax discount schemes are at any early stage, and my Department has made no assessment of their effectiveness in encouraging householders to make their homes more energy- efficient.

Council Tax

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the cost of rebilling as a result of capping in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Phil Woolas: The capped authorities provided estimated rebilling costs as part of the documentation accompanying their challenge to the maximum budget requirement proposed by the Secretary of State. These totalled:
	2004-05: 1,296,372
	2005-06: 661,147 - 781,147

Council Tax

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the reduction in revenue as a consequence of in-year capping in each capped local authority in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Phil Woolas: Capped authorities were required to make 2,944,626 of reductions to their budgets in 2004-05 and 4,489,846 of reductions in 2005-06.

Council Tax

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many foreign nationals married to students have been granted exemption from paying council tax in  (a) each local authority in Shropshire and  (b) England in (i) 2005-06 and (ii) 2006-07.

Phil Woolas: Dwellings occupied only by school leavers, students, or students and their partners or dependants, not being British citizens and being prevented by the terms of their leave to enter or remain in the United Kingdom from taking paid employment or from claiming benefits, are exempt from council tax under Class N of the Council Tax (Exempt Dwellings) Order 1992. The Department does not hold figures for the number of dwellings that fall to be exempt under Class N because they are occupied solely by non-British spouses and their student partners, independently of data on the number of dwellings falling to be exempt under Class N as a whole.
	Where a non-British partner of a student meeting the criteria above lives in a household with non-students or any other non-disregarded person they are disregarded for the purposes of calculating the household's bill. The number of non-British partners counted as being disregarded, and reported by local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government on the CTB1(S) forms, in  (a) each local authority in Shropshire and  (b) England as at (i) 1 November 2004 and (ii) 10 October 2005 are shown in the following table. The data for 2006 are not yet available.
	
		
			   1 November 2004  10 October 2005 
			 Bridgnorth 0 0 
			 North Shropshire 0 0 
			 Oswestry 0 0 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 0 27 
			 South Shropshire 0 0 
			 Total England 376 131

Council Tax

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received on additions to the number of council tax bands.

Phil Woolas: Those writing to my Department with suggestions for the reform of council tax have been advised to put their ideas to the Lyons Inquiry into local government funding. Sir Michael Lyons set a deadline of 14 September for receiving submissions for consideration by his Inquiry. Since that date my Department has received no representations on the number of council tax bands.

Council Tax

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received on the impact of council tax Band A on sheltered housing schemes where flats are banded on an individual basis.

Phil Woolas: Those writing to my Department with suggestions for the reform of council tax have been advised to put their ideas to the Lyons Inquiry into local government funding.
	Sir Michael Lyons set a deadline of 14 September for receiving submissions for consideration by his Inquiry. Since that date we have received no representations on the separate banding of flats within sheltered housing schemes.

Decent Homes Standard

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will take steps to include the provision of digital services in the Decent Homes Standard.

Yvette Cooper: We have no plans to include the provision of digital services in the Decent Homes Standard. The standard is well established, and is one that we are not proposing to change.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the total carbon emission from her Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government was created on 5 May 2006 and no assessment of its carbon emissions has yet been undertaken.
	Data on carbon emissions are published in the annual Sustainable Development in Government reports. The last report was published by the Sustainable Development Commission in December 2005. It covered the reporting period April 2004 to March 2005. The published figures for DCLG's predecessor departments are as follows.
	
		
			Carbon dioxide (tonnes)( 1) 
			 2004-05 ODPM 11,658 
			 2003-04 ODPM 13,023 
			 2002-03 ODPM 13,071 
			 2001-02 DTLR 33,635 
			 2000-01 DTLR 36,763 
			 1999-2000 DETR 38,684 
			 1998-99 DETR 39,016 
			 1997-98 DETR 39,371 
			 (1 )No notional carbon figures have been included for energy generated from renewable sources 
		
	
	These emissions were calculated from the energy consumed across the estate; this included ODPM, DTLR and ODPM properties, Executive Agencies and the Government Office network.
	The Department for Communities and Local Government has commenced a carbon management programme with the Carbon Trust. The aim of the programme is to mobilise the Department and its Agencies in working towards reducing carbon emissions across the estate.

Departmental Meetings (Muslim Groups)

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what meetings her Department has had with the  (a) Muslim Council of Britain,  (b) Sufi Muslim Council and  (c) British Muslim Forum; and if she will make a statement.

Meg Munn: Since its creation in May 2006 the Department for Communities and Local Government has engaged with a wide cross-section of community leaders from all faiths. No single organisation claims to represent all Muslims in Britain. The Government recognise the diversity that exists in British Muslim communities, and will engage with a wide range of organisations. Meetings have been held with the three organisations listed as follows:
	
		
			 Ongoing Officials from the DCLG are currently engaged in ongoing discussions with representatives from the BMP, SMC and MCB to implement various recommendations from the work on Preventing Extremism Together 
			 14 August 2006 A series of meetings were held with Ministers from the Department for Communities and Local Government as well as DCLG officials. The meetings brought together a wide range of Muslims, including representatives of the MCB, the SMC and the BMP 
			 3 August 2006 DCLG senior officials met representatives from the MCB 
			 19 July 2006 The Secretary of State and I attended and spoke at the launch of the Sufi Muslim Council 
			 17 July 2006 The Minister for Local Government and Community Cohesion (Phil Woolas) and I hosted a faith leaders' breakfast and a Muslim stakeholder event. Many organisations were represented including the MCB, SMC and BMP. 
			 12 May 2006 DCLG senior officials met representatives from the Muslim Council of Britain and the British Muslim Forum

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication her Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Meg Munn: The Department, both as DCLG and ODPM, was responsible for some 700 publications during the period from 1 July 2005 to 28 August 2006. The further information requested would be available only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what tax-efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles her Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of her Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Meg Munn: The Department supports staff cycling to work by providing tax-free salary advances towards the purchase of a bicycle for travel between home and office. In 2005-06 the Department made six advances, which equates to 0.3 per cent. of staff. It is open to the member of staff to purchase the bicycle, plus accessories, from a supplier of their choice. The Department also provides cycle storage space at its offices.
	The Department does not operate the Cycle to Work Tax Incentive Scheme and has no plans to do so.

Digital National Framework

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on progress with the development of the Digital National Framework.

Angela Smith: The Digital National Framework (DNF) is
	an industry standard for integrating and sharing business and geographic information from multiple sources.
	DNF is directed and overseen by an expert group which has over 40 members from public and private sectors and academia.
	The group has produced a road map to achieve its aims and is actively working on most elements of this. All progress is reported on the DNF website at www.dnf.org. Recently most effort has been directed at promoting best practice to underpin the sharing of business information combined with location and to promote this across all communities (local/central Government, utilities and the private sector). This is being achieved in two ways:
	(1) The publication of case studies showing the benefits of joined up information (examples from Oxford county council, Dudley metropolitan borough council and the Isle of Wight council are now available on the DNF website).
	(2) Development and publication of Technical Guides that supplement national and international standards. The Technical Guides reflect best practice adopted in the case studies and elsewhere, and are intended for reuse by others so that they too can benefit from sound information management, data integrity and are more readily able to share information with other organisations.
	The expert group is also working with the e-Government Unit in the Cabinet Office to ensure that DNF also aligns with the wider information plans and strategies of government.

Empty Dwellings

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what obligation a local authority has to pay compensation to the owner for the full value of a domestic property obtained by  (a) an Empty Dwelling Management Order and  (b) a compulsory purchase order under the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.

Yvette Cooper: Ownership does not transfer when a property is subject to an Empty Dwelling Management Order and the owner maintains the right to sell the dwelling at any time. Therefore there is no obligation on the local authority to compensate the owner for the full value of the dwelling s/he continues to own. A local authority must, however, pay any balance of income received from rent, after deduction of its relevant expenditure, to the owner.
	When repairs or improvements are proposed under the terms of a management scheme the owner will benefit from any resulting increase in the value of the property on expiry of the order. A third party with an interest in a dwelling may be entitled to compensation resulting from any loss they suffer as a result of the making of an Empty Dwelling Management Order.
	The level of compensation in cases in which domestic property is acquired compulsorily is a matter of negotiation between the acquiring local authority and the claimant. Where a local authority acquires land compulsorily, it will have an obligation to pay compensation to those legally entitled to claim it. The level of compensation will be in accordance with a number of principles established under statute, case law and guidance, often described as the Compensation Code. The open market value of the property acquired, disregarding the impact of the scheme, will form the basis of any award. The claimant may also be entitled to compensation for disturbance costs (removal expenses, fees etc.) and a Home Loss payment. The Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004 introduced new provisions about valuation principles, introduced other kinds of loss payments and allowed an advance payment of mortgage in appropriate circumstances.

Empty Dwellings

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what rights the owner of a property has to collect and remove  (a) furniture,  (b) the fittings and  (c) the fixtures of a property subject to a final Empty Dwelling Management Order.

Yvette Cooper: When a final Empty Dwelling Management Order is made the local housing authority that made the order is responsible for any furniture, fittings and other articles belonging to the owner that were left in the dwelling. The owner may make a request to the local authority to collect and remove any such items. If the dwelling is unoccupied at the time when the request is made, the local authority must comply with it. If the local authority wishes to remove any items of furniture not collected by the owners, it must arrange and pay for their safe storage off the premises. If the local authority wishes to replace any permanent fittings such as those in kitchens and bathrooms, it must consult the owner under the terms of the management scheme that it is required to draw up under a final Empty Dwelling Management Order.

Energy Performance Certificates

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the yearly cost to the  (a) social rented sector and  (b) private rented sector of the implementation of EU Directive 2002/91/EC.

Angela Smith: The technical provisions of EU Directive 2002/91/EC, the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive, have been implemented through an amendment of the Building Regulations. The Regulatory Impact Assessment that estimates the costs and benefits associated with this amendment can be seen on my Department's website.
	There is a three-year derogation period within the directive to apply fully the procedural provisions for energy certificates and inspection of boiler and air-conditioning systems. We plan to lay a Statutory Instrument in early 2007 to transpose these remaining parts of the directive into law. The Regulatory Impact Assessment to support this Statutory Instrument which will contain estimates of the yearly costs to the social and private rental sectors is still being prepared.

Enfield Council

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of meetings between her officials and the London borough of Enfield in improving the performance of that council.

Phil Woolas: There has been much positive work conducted between the Department for Communities and Local Government and the London borough of Enfield in recent years. This has evidenced itself in an improved rating for the local authority in its most recent performance assessments by both the Audit Commission (comprehensive performance assessment) in terms of corporate assessment and the Government Office for London in terms of its achievements through its Local Strategic Partnership. DCLG and its partners remain committed to working closely with the London borough of Enfield to help drive improvement forward.

English Partnerships

Alistair Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what representations have been made to her concerning the balance of expenditure between the north and south of England by English Partnerships since 2001-02; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  what percentage of English Partnerships' annual programme expenditure was spent in  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and Humberside,  (d) the East Midlands,  (e) the West Midlands,  (f) the East of England,  (g) London,  (h) the South East and (i) the South West in each year since 2001-02.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 September 2006
	No representations have been received by the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government concerning the balance of English Partnerships' (EP) expenditure since 2001-02 between the north and the south of England.
	EP's gross programme expenditure since 2001-02 by Government Office region is set out in the following table.
	
		
			Spend as a percentage of total programme (all spend figures in million) 
			  Years ended 31 March   2001-2  Percentage  2002-3  Percentage  2003-4  Percentage 
			 Total East Midlands 11 7 31 13 31 8 
			  East Of England 3 2 4 2 11 3 
			  London 18 11 25 11 95 23 
			  North East 19 11 21 9 29 7 
			  North West 38 23 56 24 79 19 
			  South East 17 10 36 16 74 18 
			  South West 9 5 14 6 38 9 
			  West Midlands 12 7 10 4 16 4 
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 25 15 21 9 23 6 
			  Other National 15 9 13 6 13 3 
			 EP Total  167 100 231 100 409 100 
			 
			  North includes Midlands 105 63 139 60 178 44 
			  South 47 28 79 34 218 53 
			  Other National 15 9 13 6 13 3 
		
	
	
		
			  Years ended 31 March   2004-5  Percentage  2005-6  Percentage 
			 Total East Midlands 41 8 49 6 
			  East Of England 15 3 137 16 
			  London 146 30 22 3 
			  North East 27 6 26 3 
			  North West 67 14 98 12 
			  South East 85 17 121 14 
			  South West 24 5 38 5 
			  West Midlands 22 5 27 3 
			  Yorkshire and The Humber 34 7 16 2 
			  Other National 26 5 302 36 
			 EP Total  487 100 836 100 
			  North includes Midlands 191 39 216 26 
			  South 270 55 318 38 
			  Other National 26 5 302 36 
			  Note: 1. For the purposes of this answer the south of England includes South East, South West, East of England and London, with other regions taken to mean the north of England.  2. The national includes EP's purchase of a national portfolio of NHS sites in early 2006 which amounted to 302m and other expenditure that EP accounts for on a national basis. 
		
	
	The figures demonstrate increased Government investment through EP's programme across England in urban regeneration and the communities plan including the supply of high-quality affordable housing in areas experiencing housing pressure. EP investment has grown significantly nationwide over the period quoted. (More information can be found about EP's programmes in its annual reports over recent years, copies of which are held in the Libraries of both Houses or can be found on its website at http://www.englishpartnerships.co.uk/home.htm).
	It is worth noting that the impact of a single transaction can be seen from the spend figure of 137 million for 2005-06 in the East of England. This included the single, extraordinary acquisition of a Ministry of Defence site at Oakington near Cambridge for the development of a new community at Northstowe for over 100 million. Excluding that one transaction from the table would have changed EP's 2005-06 investment figures to 218 million for the south and 216 million for the north.

English Partnerships

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) market,  (b) low-cost home ownership,  (c) sub-market rented and  (d) social rented homes will be built on each of the sites involved in English Partnerships' pilot London-Wide Initiative; and if she will make a statement on the progress of each scheme.

Yvette Cooper: The London-Wide Initiative is a scheme developed by English Partnerships to provide additional affordable homes in Greater London. The homes will be developed on 16 publicly owned brownfield sites including one provided by the London Development Agency, and the initiative is expected to deliver more than 4,500 homes over the next five years.
	It is too early to provide precise figures across the portfolio of sites because in the majority of cases planning consents, planning agreements and community consultations have yet to be concluded. Estimates show that overall the scheme has the potential to deliver about 1,600 market homes, over 2,000 low-cost home ownership homes and up to 1,000 social rented homes. At this stage there are no plans to include sub-market rented homes in the programme. The first of the 16 sites, Adelaide Wharf in Hackney, is now under construction. Planning consent for schemes in Wandsworth and Croydon has now been granted, with work having started or due to start shortly. A rolling programme of planning consents and starts on sites is planned for 2007 and 2008 for the remaining sites.

EU Interreg III

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on the  (a) status,  (b) role and  (c) purpose of the EU Interreg III project.

Meg Munn: Interreg III is an EU community initiative, funded from the European regional development fund (ERDF) for the period 2000 to 2006, which has three programmes designed to promote territorial and social cohesion across the European Union. The three programmes are:
	Interreg IIIA, a programme to promote joint projects involving regions in neighbouring member states to promote regional economic development and regeneration.
	Interreg IIIB, a transnational programme which aims to strengthen economic and social cohesion across large groupings of European regions through transnational co-operation.
	Interreg IIIC an inter-regional programme intended to improve the effectiveness of policies and instruments for regional development co-operation across the whole of the European Union and neighbouring countries.

Fire Service

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many fire appliances would normally be sent to an educational establishment in response to  (a) an automatic fire alarm alone and  (b) a 999 call in each fire authority area.

Angela Smith: Fire and rescue authorities in England are required by the Fire and Rescue Service National Framework to have in place and maintain an Integrated Risk Management Plan (IRMP) which reflects local need and sets out plans to tackle effectively both existing and potential risks to communities. It is, therefore, for each fire and rescue authority to determine appropriate fire cover in its area, including the number of fire appliances sent to an educational establishment in response to an automatic fire alarm alone or a 999 call.
	Decisions on operational proposals are made by the elected members of the authority concerned. They are best placed to act on the professional advice of principal officers and to balance the competing local demands on available resources for the benefits of the communities they serve.

Fire Service

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) fires,  (b) hoax 999 fire service calls and  (c) false fire alarms other than hoaxes have been recorded in educational establishments in each of the last 10 years in each fire authority area.

Angela Smith: The available information covering part  (a) of the question is set out below. Information on parts  (b) and  (c) is not held centrally.
	
		
			  Fires in schools attended by fire and rescue services in England 1995-2004 
			   1995  1996  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  England 1,401 1,532 1,314 1,158 1,331 1,194 1,453 1,248 1,231 1,228 
			
			  Non Metropolitan Areas   
			 Avon 28 28 24 37 24 23 18 28 37 19 
			 Bedfordshire 12 4 9 16 18 20 14 33 14 11 
			 Berkshire 15 25 31 18 20 10 46 29 14 14 
			 Buckinghamshire 8 31 16 13 17 17 10 10 5 19 
			 Cambridgeshire 5 12 17 7 24 4 6 12 24 17 
			 Cheshire 45 18 25 21 18 29 20 33 25 16 
			 Cleveland 24 28 55 25 17 37 28 45 15 6 
			 Cornwall 3 10 1 1 5 0 5 5 6 14 
			 Cumbria 14 17 10 2 18 6 13 13 14 14 
			 Derbyshire 24 37 23 30 20 11 23 17 22 16 
			 Devon 22 11 33 10 33 22 31 19 21 7 
			 Dorset 8 9 15 2 17 22 17 2 4 7 
			 Durham 27 8 25 32 19 20 14 18 12 12 
			 East Sussex 15 6 8 8 22 24 20 11 20 36 
			 Essex 18 26 12 21 15 21 25 19 27 17 
			 Gloucestershire 5 20 22 0 5 12 5 15 9 1 
			 Hampshire 40 28 6 19 33 35 55 19 47 40 
			 Hereford and Worcester 14 15 9 12 5 27 14 13 5 9 
			 Hertfordshire 33 40 8 32 34 28 13 22 17 24 
			 Humberside 52 45 16 37 36 9 36 40 43 40 
			 Isles of Scilly 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Isle of Wight 1 4 4 4 4 0 0 5 0 4 
			 Kent 32 62 49 22 28 15 27 34 23 34 
			 Lancashire 55 56 60 53 29 59 63 42 45 59 
			 Leicestershire 43 30 19 18 17 17 25 20 19 16 
			 Lincolnshire 2 9 13 0 10 11 12 6 8 13 
			 Norfolk 9 10 4 6 7 16 14 9 10 6 
			 North Yorkshire 11 15 13 5 9 39 5 20 16 23 
			 Northamptonshire 9 24 13 16 22 6 17 5 11 22 
			 Northumberland 9 7 5 4 4 4 5 0 13 4 
			 Nottinghamshire 28 36 31 57 15 34 15 33 24 35 
			 Oxfordshire 9 5 11 6 20 6 17 29 27 17 
			 Shropshire 10 6 19 10 5 11 13 0 17 30 
			 Somerset 13 6 6 11 9 4 21 17 11 25 
			 Staffordshire 26 25 9 33 42 20 40 30 26 14 
			 Suffolk 8 5 6 4 1 5 23 5 0 14 
			 Surrey 10 20 17 9 17 14 24 11 29 7 
			 Warwickshire 14 4 10 6 6 12 16 14 31 20 
			 West Sussex 10 28 2 18 39 20 20 27 10 32 
			 Wiltshire 11 0 6 6 14 7 10 1 6 0 
			  Metropolitan areas   
			 Greater Manchester 158 184 178 124 156 98 160 134 132 128 
			 London 134 202 102 117 189 133 152 73 115 129 
			 Merseyside 73 78 148 68 73 71 55 57 54 63 
			 South Yorkshire 55 21 37 40 26 25 64 48 35 32 
			 Tyne and Wear 74 70 43 40 37 46 58 48 37 42 
			 West Midlands 106 141 81 78 96 94 86 79 74 53 
			 West Yorkshire 78 64 62 57 59 47 100 95 80 67 
			  Notes:  1.Figures are based on sampled data grossed to fire and rescue sendee totals.  2. Figures exclude any fires in November 2002 and January-February 2003 strike periods.  Source:   Fire and Rescue Service returns to DCLG

Former Council Properties

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1313W, on former council properties, if she will collect the information requested on properties formerly owned by local authorities.

Yvette Cooper: There are no plans to collect information centrally about the numbers of properties that were once owned by local authorities and are now privately let. Individual local authorities may keep details of the addresses of properties they once owned, but they will not know which of these properties are now privately rented.

Freedom of Information

John Hemming: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the local authorities which have applied under the Freedom of Information Act for information from his Department in 2006; and what information they have applied for.

Angela Smith: holding answer 27 February 2006
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Communities and Local Government (including the Government offices for the regions) have received the following requests for information from local authorities in 2006. All requests, including those by organisations, are made by named individuals. We are unable to determine whether the request has been made by an individual or on behalf of the local authority as a whole.
	
		
			  Date  Authority  Information requested 
			 3 January 2006 Greater London Authority Advice given to the First Secretary of State by the Government Office for London in connection with a planning appeal for a statue of Nelson Mandela in Trafalgar Square 
			 13 January Hampshire County Council Information about Local Transport Plans assessment framework 
			 30 January Cornwall County Council Audit information on Objective 1 funding spent on Trevoan Farm, St. Mawes 
			 1 February Oxfordshire County Council Copy of all objections received that have not already been seen by Oxfordshire County Council for a proposed stopping up order at Manor Farm House, Little Rollright, Oxon, 0X7 5QA 
			 6 February Winchester City Council Tax paid on the Deputy Prime Minister's Admiralty Arch flat 
			 22 February Rotherham Borough Council Policy on temporary speed limits on motorways 
			 8 March Dover District Council Amount provided as part of rate support grant to Dover DC for: (a) setting up systems and training 2003-04 and 2004-05 in both monetary terms and as percentage of annual rate support grant; and (b) in 2004-05 as set up in fees in respect of the Gambling Act 2005 
			 4 April City of York Council Arrangements to reimburse LAs for the costs of FOI inquiries 
			 6 April Lancashire County Council Breakdown of the regional prioritisation scores for Ormskirk Bypass and Thornton to Swith Island Link, also wants to know how scores determined, and the consultation process 
			 11 April Seaford Town Council Advice given to Minister with regard to the East Sussex and Brighton and Hove Waste Local Plan 
			 28 April Bath and North East Somerset Council Report of an independent structural engineer on A6 Bypass SEMMMs road 
			 31 May Tonbridge and Mailing Borough Council When letters dated 27 April 2006 and 22 May 2006 were received regarding Article 4 Directions on land at the rear of Mackenders Lane, Eccles 
			 2 June North Dorset District Council All decisions issued in respect of Article 5 Appeals (Tree Preservation) issued from January 2005 to the present 
			 20 June South Hams District Council (1) Confirmation that decision is based on combined impact of all planning applications referred to in letter 
			   (2) What extent of info GOSW have been given by South Hams and objectors 
			   (3) Copies of all reps GOSW received from objectors and their solicitors 
			 12 July Corby Borough Council Information on Councils who have appealed against their 2005-06 LABGI grants

Geographic Information Panel

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the (a) role is of and (b) recent activity was of the Geographic Information Panel; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Smith: The Geographic Information Panel was established in April 2005. Its role is to focus on medium to long-term issues, encourage more effective, extensive and systematic use of geographic information and submit regular short reports to Ministers.
	Full details about the terms of reference and membership of the panel, together with information about the current activities of the panel, can be found on the website at http://www.gipanel.org.uk
	The main focus of the panel at present is to develop a geographic information strategy for the United Kingdom.

Hampton Review

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what input  (a) her Department and  (b) its (i) agencies and (ii) non-departmental public bodies had into the Hampton review and its report Reducing administrative burdens: effective inspection and enforcement.

Angela Smith: I refer to the answer that the Chief Secretary to the Treasury gave on 9 October.

Home Condition Reports

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what Government Departments will have access to the Home Condition Report Register; and to what extent it is her policy to make it available for inspection under  (a) the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and  (b) the Data Protection Act 1998.

Yvette Cooper: The only people who will have access to any registers of home condition reports will be buyers and sellers, their advisers and mortgage lenders and those monitoring the performance and quality of the reports. Any secondary legislation will be framed accordingly. There will be no access for other Government Departments, although it is intended that the Department for Communities and Local Government will have access solely for the purpose of monitoring and auditing the work of certification schemes, and that of the register operator.
	Information held on a register will be exempt from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act on the basis that the Housing Act 2004 prohibits disclosure from the register except in accordance with the regulations. A home condition report properly compiled will not contain personal data within the meaning of the Data Protection Act. There are no proposals to make the register available for inspection under either the Freedom of Information Act or the Data Protection Act.

Home Condition Reports

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 23 May 2006,  Official Report, on the Register of Home Condition Reports, if she will place in the Library a copy of the documentation, including the technical requirements, that has been prepared for those expressing an interest in providing the register.

Yvette Cooper: The Home Condition Report Register procurement is being carried out as a negotiated procedure under the Public Contracts Regulations 2006, and it is expected that the contents of the documentation will change through the period of negotiation. Once negotiations and procurement have been completed I will arrange to place the final versions of the documentation in the Library.

Home Condition Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether  (a) other central Government Departments,  (b) the Office for National Statistics and  (c) her Department will have access to data in the Register of Home Condition Reports for purposes other than those related to the management and maintenance of the register.

Yvette Cooper: Access to the Register of Home Condition Reports will be confined to buyers and sellers, their advisers and mortgage lenders and those monitoring the performance and quality of the reports. The secondary legislation will be framed accordingly.
	There are no plans to allow access to other Government Departments or the Office for National Statistics. We expect the Department to have access for the purposes of monitoring and auditing the work of certification schemes, and that of the register operator.

Home Condition Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the charge will be for lodging a home condition report (HCR) in the Register of HCRs.

Yvette Cooper: The cost of lodgement charged to certification schemes is part of ongoing discussions with Landmark Solutions (the preferred Home Condition Report Register operator). Additional charges by the certification schemes to cover administrative quality assurance costs are also under discussion.
	Exact costs per lodgement with the Home Condition Report Register operator will be set out in a statutory instrument in February 2007.

Home Condition Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Register of Home Condition Reports will have the capacity to store electronic images.

Yvette Cooper: This is not in the current specification for the HCR Register, but the hardware infrastructure can be upgraded to accommodate increased capacity to store images if required.

Home Condition Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government for what maximum length of time a home condition report  (a) is permitted to be and  (b) will be stored in the Register of Home Condition Reports, assuming there is no new marketing of the property.

Yvette Cooper: There will be no maximum period for which an HCR is considered valid. Home condition reports will be stored in the Home Condition Report Register for 15 years from the date of lodgement.

Home Condition Reports

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which body will audit the Register of Home Condition Reports.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government will be responsible for the auditing arrangements for the Register of Home Condition Reports.

Home Energy Efficiency

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses in each local authority area have cavity wall insulation.

Angela Smith: My Department does not collect information for each local authority on these details. The 2004 English House Condition Survey provides the following figures for England: there were 15,042 dwellings (70 per cent. of all dwellings) of cavity wall construction, of which 5,835 (39 per cent. of all dwellings with cavity walls) were insulated.

Home Information Packs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who will  (a) accredit the home information pack trial and  (b) assess the outcome.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	These trials will be independently verified. A further announcement will be made shortly once the research contractor has been selected.

Home Information Packs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who will bear the costs to  (a) home owners,  (b) estate agents and  (c) the controller of the trials of running the home information pack trials.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Participation in the area trials is voluntary. The Department is in discussion with industry regarding the appropriate support for the trials, although we intend this support to be focused on encouraging consumers to take-up home information packs (HIPs) and to be designed to help us see the effects of HIPs on chains of transactions. These trials will be independently verified. A further announcement will be made shortly on the selected contractor who will conduct the independent research.

Home Information Packs

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister which towns and cities will be used for the home information pack trials; and where the control town or city will be.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Trials will take place in Bath, Cambridge, Southampton, Northampton, Newcastle and Huddersfield. The results in these areas will be compared with those in the baseline research conducted during the summer.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister who will own a title to a home information pack once it is undertaken.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	In most cases the seller will own title to the home information pack once it has been undertaken, although this will depend on the terms of the contract under which the pack has been prepared.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what steps have been taken to ensure independent monitoring of the dry runs of home information packs to guarantee that any assessment of their success is made by those with no financial interest in the production of packs.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	These trials will be independently verified. A further announcement will be made shortly on the research contractor selected to monitor the trials.

Home Information Packs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether homeowners in shared equity schemes will be required to obtain separate home information packs for their share of a property when it is sold.

Yvette Cooper: A person selling a shared equity or shared ownership property on the open market will need to provide a home information pack, including an energy performance certificate. In most shared equity schemes the purchaser owns 100 per cent. of the property. The equity loan is covered by a charge on the property which is repaid to the registered social landlord when the property is sold. Sellers of such properties are usually responsible for the legal fees and other associated selling costs now and that will continue to be the case when home information packs are introduced on 1 June 2007.

Home Information Packs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether she plans to exempt  (a) key worker housing,  (b) other shared equity housing and  (c) low-cost housing from the requirement to obtain a home information pack when a property is sold.

Yvette Cooper: There are no plans to exempt key worker housing, shared equity housing or other low cost housing schemes from the requirement to obtain a home information pack when a property is sold. An exception is where the terms of the scheme entitle the RSL to nominate a subsequent purchaser from their waiting list. As there would be no marketing in such cases, a pack would not be required.

Home Information Packs

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether a full home information pack will be required for a property on which a National House-Building Council guarantee is still valid.

Yvette Cooper: Where a new home is subsequently resold within the validity period of a National House-Building Council guarantee a full home information pack, comprising an Energy Performance Certificate, searches and other legal information, will be required. The seller will be authorised to include a home condition report if he or she wishes.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library a copy of the Ordnance Survey's submission to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister's consultation on home information pack regulations.

Yvette Cooper: The response to the Department's consultation on the Home Information Pack Regulations from the Ordnance Survey dated 21 December 2005 has been deposited in the House of Commons Library.

Home Information Packs

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures are to be included in the home information packs to ensure that the reliability and safety of domestic wiring and electrical installations has been appropriately checked.

Yvette Cooper: Where a Home Condition Report (HCR) is provided, the Home Inspector will carry out a visual inspection of the domestic wiring and electrical installation, and will report on any faulty wiring that is evident from the inspection. A condition rating will be given in the HCR, based on this inspection. The HCR will also contain a safety warning about the need for periodic inspection and testing, and advise that any electrical installation carried out after 1 January 2005 should be identified by an electrical installation certificate.
	Information about standards of safety to which a property ought to/does comply is authorised for inclusion in the pack, so, for example, electrical safety certificates could be included as authorised documents.
	We are also considering how such information can be included within the standard search process before the introduction of HIPs.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's assessment is of the expected effect of the introduction of home information packs on  (a) houses being placed on the market and  (b) housing transactions.

Yvette Cooper: An assessment of the impact of home information packs has been published in a regulatory impact assessment which accompanied the regulations made under part 5 of the Housing Act 2004. This assessment will be updated in the light of the findings of a baseline study of the home buying process reporting later this year, and of information obtained during the dry run of home information packs.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the cost to public funds was of the home information pack pilot project.

Yvette Cooper: The Bristol pilot study was designed to test the practical operation of home information packs and ran between December 1999 and July 2000. The study cost 315,000.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether consumers involved in the home information pack pilot project will be charged for receiving a home information pack for their homes.

Yvette Cooper: We are proposing to offer a range of incentives to encourage take-up and ensure that we learn as much as possible from the trials. This will include offering a limited number of free packs; packs in which the mandatory elements will be provided free to the seller if they pay for a home condition report; and packs provided on a no sale, no fee basis. The different offers will enable us to learn about different aspects of the reaction of both buyers and sellers to the packs as well as testing a series of practical issues.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's latest estimate is of the cost of producing each element of a home information pack, other than the home condition report, before VAT.

Yvette Cooper: The regulatory impact assessment which accompanied the regulations laid in June 2006 set out assessments of different costs. Revised estimates will be included in the updated regulatory impact assessment to be published alongside new regulations in early 2007.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the  (a) Welsh Assembly Government and  (b) National Assembly for Wales has in the implementation of home information packs, with particular reference to the passage of secondary legislation.

Yvette Cooper: This is not a devolved matter, but the Secretary of State has a duty to consult the National Assembly for Wales before making any regulations which relate to residential properties in Wales, and we did so. We formally consulted the Assembly on the proposed secondary legislation and regulatory impact assessment, and the Social Justice and Regeneration Committee discussed Home Information Packs at its meeting on 3 May 2006. We also conducted various informal consultations with the Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh Language Board on the content of the secondary legislation.

Home Information Packs

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the Association of Home Information Pack Providers is playing in the dry run for home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: We are working in partnership with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers. Key roles that it will perform will include ensuring that providers are in place to prepare packs and estate agents are recruited to offer them to home sellers.

Home Information Packs

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether the Government compiled an equality impact assessment for the introduction of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: The Department commissioned the COI Strategic Consultancy to investigate the impact of home information packs on ethnic and other minor groups, and the results were reflected in the regulatory impact assessment that was published in June 2006.

Home Information Packs

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the Government have made of the effect of home information packs on the property market in low-demand areas.

Yvette Cooper: Independent research was commissioned in 2003 into the potential impact of the introduction of home information packs in areas affected by low demand and low value. This research was used to inform the regulatory impact assessment published in June 2006. Further baseline research has been commissioned, and there will be a report in October.

Home Information Packs

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her policy is on compensating those who have trained as home inspectors following the recent change in policy on the home information packs programme.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's policy is that mandatory Home Condition Reports (HCRs) remain on the table if the industry fails to make a success of the roll-out of HCRs. We will promote the voluntary take-up of HCRs, and have allocated 4 million to support their take-up and testing of Home Information Packs. Therefore Home Inspectors will still be needed, and job opportunities for Home Inspectors remain for those who have undertaken training. Moreover, the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates for the private rented properties will further enhance these opportunities.

Home Information Packs

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will pay compensation to trainee Home Improvement Pack inspectors who have paid for their training courses.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's policy is that mandatory Home Condition Reports (HCRs) remain on the table if the industry fails to make a success of the roll-out of HCRs. We will promote the voluntary take up of HCRs, and have allocated 4 million to support their take-up and testing of Home Information Packs. Therefore Home Inspectors will still be needed and job opportunities for Home Inspectors remain for those who have undertaken training. Moreover, the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates for the private rented properties will further enhance these opportunities.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what recent estimate she has made of how many home inspectors will be required to implement the revised home information packs from June 2007.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Gentleman to my answer of 9 October 2006.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has for area-based trials of home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: Trials will take place in Bath, Cambridge, Southampton, Northampton, Newcastle and Huddersfield. We are working with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers to organise the trials.
	These trials will be independently verified. A further announcement will be made shortly on the selected contractor who will conduct the independent research.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate has been made of the number of  (a) home information packs and  (b) home inspectors to be required in the first (i) three months, (ii) six months and (iii) 12 months of the operation of the scheme.

Yvette Cooper: Estimates of the number of Home Information Packs required by sellers are based on industry estimates of future home buying and selling. These are given in the following table:
	
		
			  Home information packs required by home sellers 
			   Number 
			 Between June 2007 and August 2007 366,100 
			 Between June 2007 and November 2007 779,100 
			 Between June 2007 and May 2008 1,627,100 
		
	
	The number of trained home inspectors across England and Wales who will be required to produce energy performance certificates and the optional home condition reports for sellers will vary with seasonal demand and the local housing market. It is estimated that between 2,500 and 4,500 individuals working full or part-time would be required to satisfy demand for these.
	More detailed estimates will become available as the percentage take-up of home condition reports is determined during the progress of the area-based trials.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her Department's latest estimate is of the cost of a home information pack in June 2007 without the home condition report; and what the estimate is of the cost of each item to be included.

Yvette Cooper: The regulatory impact assessment which accompanied the regulations laid in June 2006 includes assumptions on costs. A regulatory impact assessment will be published alongside new regulations early in 2007. All these figures will be revised where necessary in the light of the dry run and other trials.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria her Department will use in deciding whether to make home condition reports mandatory after 2007.

Yvette Cooper: We have made clear that it is for industry in the first instance to take the lead in encouraging the take-up of home condition reports, and we will want to discuss its views on the way forward in the light of the dry run, area trials and experience of home information packs.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether further  (a) secondary legislation and  (b) guidance will be required in order to implement home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: Further regulations and guidance will be published early in 2007 in order to implement the changes announced in July ahead of the planned introduction of home information packs from 1 June 2007.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 11-13WS, on home information packs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the  (a) benefits and  (b) costs to industry of her announcement;
	(2)  if the Government will produce a revised regulatory impact assessment on home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: A revised regulatory impact assessment on home information packs will be published alongside new regulations early in 2007.
	The proposed timing will allow the revised regulations to reflect initial findings from the practical experience of assembling and using HIPs in the area trials.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 11-13WS, on home information packs, what plans the Government have to consult further on home information packs.

Yvette Cooper: Further consultations will take place on any new regulations laid before 1 June 2007. Departmental officials continue to be in regular discussions with stakeholders about the implementation of the programme.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the written statement of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 11-13WS, on Home Information Packs, what plans the Government have for the introduction of the electronic register of Home Condition Reports; and what the timetable is.

Yvette Cooper: Home Condition Reports and Energy Performance Certificates will be lodged on an electronic register. Landmark Solutions has been chosen as the preferred bidder to set up the electronic register, which is expected be operational by November 2006.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Government have made of the number of physical valuations that will take place in addition to Home Information Packs once the packs are introduced.

Yvette Cooper: The Regulatory Impact Assessment published in June 2006 assumed that AVMs or other methods other than physical surveys would be used in 38 per cent. of transactions.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her latest estimate is of the number of voluntary home condition reports that will be produced for home information packs in the first year of the pack's implementation.

Yvette Cooper: We are undertaking a series of area trials from November, in partnership with the Association of Home Information Pack Providers, to help test both the packs and full Home Condition Reports. Regional campaigns will run simultaneously to support the trials, raise awareness and encourage voluntary take up. There will be independent monitoring of these trials, which will look at the level of take-up of voluntary HCRs. The results of these trials will be used to look further at the likely take-up of voluntary HCRs after 1 June 2007.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of whether further resources are required for trading standards Departments to enforce the requirement to produce a home information pack before placing a house on the market.

Yvette Cooper: Additional resources of 2.43 million have been made available to local authorities in 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 for the purposes of HIP enforcement. Discussions with the LGA and the Local Authorities Co-ordinators of Regulatory Services are ongoing and the DCLG has committed to funding the one-off costs of training and development of staff, estimated at 50,000 by LACORS.

Home Information Packs

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations her Department has received from the LACORS in relation to the enforcement of home information packs; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: LACORS submitted responses to the public consultations on the draft Housing Bill on 9 June 2003 and to the draft Home Information Pack Regulations on 29 December 2005. In addition, DCLG officials have had regular meetings with LACORS on the enforcement provisions for Home Information Packs.

Home Information Packs

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will reimburse people who have undertaken training for the home information packs scheme; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 September 2006
	The Government's policy is that mandatory Home Condition Reports (HCRs) remain on the table if the industry fails to make a success of the roll-out of HCRs. We will promote the voluntary take-up of HCRs, and have allocated 4 million to support their take-up and testing of Home Information Packs. Therefore Home Inspectors will still be needed and job opportunities for Home Inspectors remain for those who have undertaken training. Moreover, the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates for private rented properties will further enhance these opportunities.

Home Information Packs

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance has been issued to those who have trained to be Home Information Pack inspectors; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 13 September 2006
	Information which has been made available to Home Inspectors since 18 July includes the following: (i) the statement to the House on 18 July; (ii) a press notice of 21 September (which can be viewed on the DCLG website); (iii) a statement released on 30 July (which can be viewed on the DCLG website); and (iv) a letter from the Home Information Pack Programme Director to Home Inspectors of 21 September.

Home Inspectors

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government who will produce detailed guidance for home inspectors; to what extent inspectors will be required to investigate problems encountered during an inspection; whether it will be sufficient for a home inspection report to say that a specific problem will require further investigation; and whether inspectors will be required to investigate  (a) for (i) radon gas, (ii) mining and other subsidence, (iii) asbestos and (iv) party wall and other boundary disputes and  (b) common services and structures in blocks of flats.

Yvette Cooper: The home condition report (HCR) will be based on a mid-range inspection, similar to the homebuyers survey currently available on the market. home inspectors will be required to complete the HCR in accordance with the inspection and reporting requirements published by the Department of Communities and Local Government on 14 June 2006. Home inspectors will decide condition ratings by applying their knowledge of building construction and should only recommend further investigation where they suspect the existence of defects that are concealed or cannot be identified within the scope of a visual inspection. Home inspectors will therefore be expected to reach a conclusion about defects in most cases, but when this is not possible, for example when the defect needs specialist advice, the inspector may recommend a further investigation.
	The home inspectors will report on the following:
	whether the property is located in an area where naturally occurring radon gas is emitted from the ground;
	whether it is located in a mining area;
	whether they have seen asbestos-containing materials, or suspect such materials are present, which may be a risk (this is not a specialist asbestos inspection, however);
	whether there are any party wall matters brought to the Inspector's attention by the seller.
	For flats, the HCR will cover in detail the main walls, windows and the roof of the flat itself along with the shared access to the flat. General information will be provided about the remainder of the outside and shared parts.

Home Inspectors

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether home inspectors will be assigned to work in specific areas.

Yvette Cooper: The work that home inspectors undertake, and the location, will be a matter for them or for the companies that employ them.

Home Inspectors

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make it her policy to compensate individuals and companies for money spent on training home inspectors in the expectation that home condition surveys would be made mandatory.

Yvette Cooper: The Government's policy is that mandatory Home Condition Reports (HCRs) remain on the table if the industry fails to make a success of the roll-out of HCRs. We will promote the voluntary take-up of HCRs, and have allocated 4 million to support their take-up and testing of Home Information Packs. Therefore Home Inspectors will still be needed and job opportunities for Home Inspectors remain for those who have undertaken training. Moreover, the introduction of Energy Performance Certificates for private rented properties will further enhance these opportunities.

Homelessness

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness as a means of preventing homelessness of the deposit loan, guarantee and bond schemes offered by local authorities and housing associations in England to enable people on low incomes to rent in the private rented sector;
	(2)  what guidance her Department has issued to  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations regarding the provision of deposit loan, guarantee and bond schemes for people to rent in the private rented sector.

Yvette Cooper: In June the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) published the results of an independent evaluation of homelessness prevention schemes. This showed that rent deposit and similar schemes are widely operated by local authorities and are playing a growing role in rehousing potentially homeless households. It is also clear that these schemes can be highly cost-effective. A summary of this research is available on the DCLG website at www.communities.gov.uk.
	Chapter 4 of Homelessness Prevention : A Guide to Good Practice is about the use of rent deposit and similar schemes which offer people in the private sector a solution to their homelessness. The guidance is available on the Department's website at www.communities.gov.uk
	The responsibility for monitoring such schemes operated by registered social landlords lies with the Housing Corporation. To date the corporation has not collected data or issued guidance about the use of rent deposit loan schemes, and does not hold records of which RSLs provide these schemes.

Housing

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the latest  (a) actual and  (b) estimated outputs are for (i) demolitions, (ii) refurbishments and (iii) new builds in each of the housing market renewal pathfinder areas in (A) 2004-05, (B) 2005-06, (C) 2006-07 and (D) 2007-08.

Yvette Cooper: The following table provides information on the number of demolitions, refurbishments and new builds funded in full or in part by housing market renewal funding (HMRF) as part of the local programmes led by councils and partners to address housing problems in their areas. The figures for 2004-05 and 2005-06 are actual. Estimated figures for 2006-07 are included for those pathfinders whose forward funding agreements have been, or are shortly about to be, signed. Plans for 2007-08 have not yet been agreed.
	
		
			   New Build  Repairs, improvements and refurbishments  Demolitions 
			   2004-05  2005-06 ( 1) 2006-07  2004-05  2005-06 ( 1) 2006-07  2004-05  2005-06 ( 1) 2006-07 
			 Birmingham Sandwell 47 62 tbc 10 6115 tbc 71 306 tbc 
			 East Lancashire 0 0 0 674 830 346 311 331 362 
			 Hull and East Riding 0 0 tbc 0 0 tbc 0 147 tbc 
			 Manchester Salford 0 0 tbc 4,304 2,418 tbc 571 454 tbc 
			 Merseyside 6 11 566 2,628 5,383 1,420 118 185 263 
			 Newcastle Gateshead 2 0 28 232 433 704 409 506 72 
			 North Staffordshire 0 0 0 139 1,408 450 234 62 200 
			 Oldham Rochdale 0 0 106 832 1,059 190 78 164 182 
			 South Yorkshire 0 0 167 760 1,140 1,724 1,097 635 500 
			 (1) Estimate  Notes: 1. Discussions have not yet concluded with Birmingham Sandwell, Manchester Salford and Hull and East Riding on their programmes for 2006-07. 2. The outputs in the table are only those that are funded directly by HMRP. The pathfinders have played a part in generating significant additional outputs through the contributions of partners, principally local authorities, RSLs and the private sector, in related and complementary interventions in housing market renewal areas. 3. The variation in outputs between pathfinders is partly explained by the different sizes of the programmes and how long they have been running. There is also a wide variety in approaches taken depending on the particular problems face in each area.

Housing

Howard Stoate: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which  (a) local authorities and  (b) housing associations in England provide deposit loan, guarantee and bond schemes to enable people on low incomes to rent in the private rented sector.

Yvette Cooper: In September 2005 there were 294 local authorities in England which operated rent deposit or similar schemes. A list of the schemes has been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
	The Housing Corporation does not collect this information from housing associations.

Housing

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government when the homes in the Design for Manufacture Competition will be placed on sale.

Yvette Cooper: Each of the 10 sites that English Partnerships has put forward for the competition is at a slightly different point in the process. They have different estimated start and completion dates and there will, therefore, be different dates when the homes on each site will be placed on sale.
	The start of work on each site will vary according to when issues such as detailed planning consent and contractual arrangements have been completed. The length of time it will take to complete each site also varies as they are of different scales.
	However, it is anticipated that the first homes built through the competition will be put on sale in autumn 2006.

Housing

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the expenditure was of each of the Regional Housing Boards in  (a) 2004-05 and  (b) 2005-06.

Yvette Cooper: Regional Housing Boards advise Government on how resources for housing capital investment should be targeted. These resources totalled 5 billion over 2004-06. Regional Housing Boards do not have separate administrative budgets; they are funded from existing Government Regional Office budgets and contributions from other Board members. Given this, the following table sets out estimates of the total expenditure of each Regional Housing Board on carrying out its responsibilities to develop and publish a Regional Housing Strategy for its area and provide advice to Ministers on spending priorities. These estimates do not include staff costs, but they do include contributions from Board members other than the Government Offices.
	
		
			   Expenditure in 2004-05 ()  Expenditure in 2005-06 ()  Housing Capital Investment Resources allocated on the Boards' advice ( million) 2005-06 
			 London 31,250 23,070 2,110 
			 East of England 235,000 0 330 
			 South East 132,847 85,045 720 
			 South West 94,868 92,233 270 
			 East Midlands 48,950 0 230 
			 West Midlands 177,400 181,800 360 
			 North East 67,000 20,000 170 
			 Yorkshire and Humber 125,000 10,000 290 
			 North West 40,000 7,000 500

Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of homes in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Cumbria,  (c) Westmorland and Lonsdale,  (d) urban areas and  (e) rural areas were occupied as second homes in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The table gives the information requested. The number of properties is not available for parliamentary constituencies: Figures for South Lakeland constituency are presented as this is the local authority which is the closest to the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency. Second homes data are not available prior to 2002 on a robust consistent basis.
	
		
			  Percentage of Second Homes 2002 to 2005 
			   England and Wales  Cumbria  South Lakeland  Urban England  Rural England percentage 
			 2002 0.8 2.7 7.0 0.5 1.3 
			 2003 1.0 3.4 77 0.7 1.4 
			 2004 1.1 3.4 7.4 0.8 1.5 
			 2005 1.1 3.4 7.4 0.8 1.5 
			  Source:  CTB1 returns to DCLG. 
		
	
	Local authorities in England have been classified as rural or urban according to definitions given by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For further information on the DEFRA classification please see: http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/rural_resd/rural_definition.asp

Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what percentage of new housing completed in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Cumbria,  (c) Westmorland and Lonsdale,  (d) urban areas and  (e) rural areas was affordable housing in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The following table shows the proportion of newly built homes defined as affordable. The Department does not collect information on affordable housing in Wales; therefore the table refers to England only. New build completions data are only available at local authority level; therefore specific information relating to Westmoreland and Lonsdale constituency is not available. As South Lakeland LA is the local authority that comprises the majority of Westmoreland and Lonsdale, it has been included in the table.
	For parts  (d) and  (e) local authority information has been aggregated by the DEFRA Rural Definition and Local Authority Classification, details of which can be found on the DEFRA website: http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/rural_resd/rural_definition.asp
	
		
			  Percentage of newly built dwellings defined as affordable 
			  Percentage 
			   1997-98  1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06( 1) 
			 England 19 19 16 17 17 16 17 17 18 
			 Cumbria 11 17 16 16 11 8 5 10 (2) 
			 South Lakeland 5 8 12 20 16 5 21 18 (2) 
			 Urban local authorities 22 23 19 20 21 16 19 18 (2) 
			 Rural local authorities 15 14 12 13 13 15 14 15 (2) 
			 (1) Provisional.  (2) Not available.   Note.  Information on new build affordable dwellings is provided by the Housing Corporation; a small proportion of these will be hostel bed spaces.  Source:  Returns from local authorities to the Department for Communities and Local Government (P2, HSSA), Housing Corporation, National Housebuilding Council (NHBC). 
		
	
	Section 106 data have only been collected from 2000-01.
	This information does not include new affordable homes provided through acquisition and refurbishment for both social rent and low-cost home ownership.

Housing

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the average price of houses sold was in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Cumbria,  (c) Westmorland and Lonsdale,  (d) urban areas and  (e) rural areas in each year since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The following table gives the information requested. Estimates of average house prices at local authority level, for regions and counties and for England and Wales as a whole are based on Land Registry data. Estimates of average house prices are not available for parliamentary constituencies: South Lakeland is the local authority which is the closest to Westmorland and Lonsdale.
	
		
			  House prices 1997 to 2005 
			   
			   England and Wales  Cumbria  South Lakeland  Urban England  Rural England 
			 1997 79,482 60,103 78,936 80,474 80,809 
			 1998 86,500 63,653 83,156 87,637 87,964 
			 1999 96,902 66,388 88,425 99,092 97,287 
			 2000 108,527 71,891 99,239 111,255 109,539 
			 2001 119,436 78,158 116,273 121,697 121,891 
			 2002 138,370 88,275 130,005 139,588 143,562 
			 2003 156,505 107,312 161,697 155,114 166,389 
			 2004 178,899 130,897 195,701 176,423 189,559 
			 2005 189,983 146,327 211,834 187,999 199,389 
			  Source:  Land Registry 
		
	
	Local authorities in England have been classified as rural or urban according to definitions given by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. For further information on the DEFRA classification please see: http://statistics.defra.gov.uk/esg/rural_resd/rural_definition.asp
	Further information on house prices in local authority areas for the period 1996 to 2005 is available in Table 585 on the DCLG website. The web link for Table 585 is: http://www.communities.gov.uk/pub/159/Tab1e585_id1156159.xls

Housing

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the number of new affordable houses required in Coventry in each year until 2015.

Yvette Cooper: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not make estimates of the number of new affordable houses required in Coventry. Coventry city council is required to assess the need for affordable housing as part of the housing needs assessment and the local and regional planning process.
	Allocations to provide new affordable housing are made from the national Affordable Housing Programme, on the recommendation of the regional housing board, and through a local bidding process to the Housing Corporation.
	During 2006-08 the city council expects there to be 320 new affordable homes in the city, at this stage there are no estimates of provision beyond this date.

Housing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new houses have been built in each constituency since 1999.

Yvette Cooper: Information on new build dwellings is collected by local authority, not constituency. A table showing the number of new build dwelling completions in each local authority in England, in each year from 1999 to 2005, has been placed in the Library of the House.
	 Source:
	P2 house building return from local authorities and National House Building Council

Housing

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many houses in each local authority area are of  (a) cavity wall,  (b) solid wall and  (c) timber frame construction.

Angela Smith: The Department for Communities and Local Government does not collect information for each local authority on these details. The 2004 English House Condition Survey provides the following figures for England:
	
		
			  Wall construction of dwelling.  Number of dwellings (Thousand) 
			 Cavity 15,042 
			 Solid 6,211 
			 Timber frame 360 
			 All dwellings 21,613

Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of severely overcrowded households which fall within the health and safety standards category 1 hazard in  (a) Luton,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) England.

Yvette Cooper: My Department has not made such estimates and does not collect the information it would require in order to do so. The Housing Health and Safety Rating System replaced the housing fitness standard in England in April 2006 and in Wales in June 2006. The English House Condition Survey will provide annual national estimates for England with publication of its results for 2006 (expected early in 2008) and subsequent years.

Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  which local authorities are not expected to achieve the private sector decent homes standard by 2010;
	(2)  which local authorities have not produced a strategy for achieving the private sector decent homes standard.

Yvette Cooper: The information requested is not held centrally. Estimates from the English House Condition Survey in 2003 and 2004 indicate that nationally we are ahead of trajectory towards meeting the private sector decent homes target that 70 per cent. of vulnerable households in that sector are living in decent homes. Between 1996 and 2004 this targeted percentage has increased from 47 per cent. to 66 per cent. The survey also shows that no regions are significantly behind the overall national position.
	It is the responsibility of Government Offices to monitor progress in their own regions and satisfy themselves that local authorities have robust policies in place. It is a requirement for local authorities to produce housing strategies that review a wide range of housing-related issues in their areas and to establish their priorities for action, including the need to meet this target.

Housing

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households were statutorily overcrowded in  (a) Luton,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) England in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: Estimates of overcrowding based on the statutory standard are not available because the underlying data is not collected systematically. A one-off estimate was made in 2004 that there were approximately 20,000 households across the whole of England that were in conditions of overcrowding that breached the statutory standard. This estimate was based on data from the Survey of English Housing for the period 2000-01 to 2002-03 and from the 2001 English House Condition Survey. Equivalent estimates for Luton, Bedfordshire and the whole of the United Kingdom are not available.

Housing

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many  (a) housing association and  (b) local authority new rented homes she expects to be completed in each London borough in (i) 2006-07, (ii) 2007-08 and (iii) 2008-09.

Yvette Cooper: Information on estimated completions for social rent and low-cost home ownership by Registered Social Landlords and other developers funded through the Housing Corporation's National Affordable Housing Programme is provided on the Corporation's website at:
	www.housingcorp.gov.uk.
	The London Allocation Statement provides details of schemes including estimated completions in each London borough for 2006-08, and are at the webpage:
	www.housingcorp.gov.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.7753 .
	Information for 2008-09 is not available, and both investment levels and estimated completions will be subject to the outcome of the Comprehensive Spending Review 2007.
	Information on estimated completions of new rented homes to be provided by local authorities is not held centrally.

Housing

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many properties owned by registered social landlords have been sold to their tenants in  (a) Greater London and  (b) England in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer13 September 2006
	Information on properties owned by registered social landlords that have been sold to their tenants is collected on the Regulatory Statistical Return of the Housing Corporation. In 1996-97 RSLs were not asked to break down this information by local authority area. Sales to tenants include Right to Acquire and Preserved Right to Buy, the latter being the preserved right of a local authority tenant to purchase their dwelling even after a stock transfer from the local authority to an RESL.
	Summary information for London as a whole and England is given in the following table. The figures broken down by local authority area have been deposited in the Libraries of the House.
	
		
			   Greater London  England 
			 1996-97  4,821 
			 1997-98 294 4,976 
			 1998-99 429 4,779 
			 1999-2000 680 7,585 
			 2000-01 1,078 7,336 
			 2001-02 788 8,536 
			 2002-03 976 10,869 
			 2003-04 1,246 15,095 
			 2004-05 858 9,365 
			 2005-06 361 6,987 
			  Notes:  1. From 2001-02 onwards, data for Greater London and individual local authority areas exclude outright sales.  2. From 2004-05 onwards, data for Greater London and individual local authority areas exclude outright sales and voluntary purchase grant.  3. In 1998-99 and 2001-02 a small number of RSLs made errors in filling in the form and the data for some individual local authority areas may be slightly incorrect.  4. Data excludes Abbeyfields and Almshouses.  5. Only RSLs who completed a Long Return were required to provide this data in 2005-06.   Source:  Regulatory Statistical Return, Housing Corporation.

Housing

Justine Greening: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what assessment has been made of the number of children aged under 18 years living in accommodation which constitutes statutory housing overcrowding in each of the past five years.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	Estimates of overcrowding based on the statutory standard are not available because the underlying data are not collected systematically. A one-off estimate was made in 2004 that there were approximately 20,000 households across the whole of England that were in conditions of overcrowding that breached the statutory standard. This estimate was based on data from the Survey of English Housing for the period 2000-01 to 2002-03 and from the 2001 English House Condition Survey. However, no estimate was made of the number of children living in these 20,000 households.

Housing

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the Affordable Rural Housing Commission will have in monitoring the implementation of its recommendations.

Yvette Cooper: The Affordable Rural Housing Commission was set up by my Department and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to inquire into the scale, nature and implications of the shortage of affordable housing for rural communities in England and to make recommendations to address unmet need. The Government have set up a website to report on progress on rural housing, and Ministers have met members of the commission to discuss taking forward the report's recommendations.

Housing

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to restrict staircasing on rural exception sites in response to the report of the Affordable Rural Housing Commission; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 13 September 2006
	Housing associations providing shared ownership schemes with Housing Corporation funding on rural exception sites may continue to restrict staircasing to 80 per cent., where possible and appropriate under leasehold legislation.
	This is one of a number of safeguards within our new HomeBuy scheme to enable affordable housing to be retained in rural areas. Others include allowing providers to nominate purchasers and buy back properties when a purchaser who has staircased up to full ownership wishes to sell. The Housing Corporation will prioritise funding for the repurchase of properties on rural exception sites where a housing association is unable to do so.

Housing

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what criteria are used to determine the eligibility of vulnerable disabled people for social rented accommodation.

Yvette Cooper: In England housing authorities are required to treat all applicants as eligible for an allocation of social housing unless they are certain persons from abroad (excluded by regulations made under s. 160 A(3) and (5) of the Housing Act 1996) or persons whom an authority decides to treat as ineligible as a result of serious unacceptable behaviour (s.160A (7) of the 1996 Act).
	Housing authorities are responsible for setting their own allocation policies and procedures. However, they must ensure that their allocation scheme is framed so as to give reasonable preference to certain categories of persons, including people who need to move on medical and welfare grounds. We have recently amended the legislation to make clear that medical and welfare includes grounds relating to a disability. Annex 3 to the statutory code of guidance on the allocation of accommodation (issued in November 2002) provides a list of indicators for the medical and welfare reasonable preference category, including, for example, a mental illness or disorder, a physical or learning disability, and chronic or progressive medical conditions. However, the guidance makes clear that this is an illustrative rather than an exhaustive list.

Housing

Nick Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what funding is available from  (a) central and  (b) local government sources for the (i) modernisation and (ii) upgrading of the external features of social housing.

Yvette Cooper: We do not differentiate between modernisation and upgrading of internal and external features of social housing. For the year 2006-07 over 3.42 billion has been allocated for major repairs and maintenance of local authority housing. This is paid through the Housing Revenue Account Subsidy System, and is a combination of local authorities' own resources and government subsidy. This figure does not include the additional resources made available through Arms Length Management Orders and gap funding for stock transfers to meet the decent homes target. Registered social landlords are responsible for financing their modernisation and improvements themselves.

Leasehold Valuation Tribunals

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role her Department plays in the administration of leasehold valuation tribunals.

Yvette Cooper: There are five Rent Assessment Panels (RAPs) that cover England to which the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government appoints the senior officers, known as presidents and vice-presidents. These appointees are judicial office holders and not members of the civil service.
	The RAPs have pools of chairpersons, appointed by the Lord Chancellor, and members appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government. The president of the RAP will convene a leasehold valuation tribunal where leasehold cases require a hearing and will appoint a chairperson and two members to the tribunal.
	RAPs are part of the Residential Property Tribunal Service (RPTS). The RPTS is headed by a senior president, appointed by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, who is responsible for the quality and consistency of the panels' work across the country.

Libraries

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate her Department has made of the cost of clearing the backlog of refurbishments required by public libraries in England.

David Lammy: I have been asked to reply.
	Judgments about the need for refurbishments require a qualitative approach and are best carried out at local level. However, as part of the DCMS-funded Framework for the Future Programme, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council commissioned a Library Buildings Survey. Responses were received from 136 of the 149 library authorities in England, representing a 91 per cent. response rate. These results, including projections for the whole sector, were published on 18 September.
	The survey found that an estimated 760 million is required to make all public libraries in England fit for purpose. Of this sum, 130.8 million is required to address a routine maintenance backlog and 73 million would be necessary to satisfy health and safety, Disability Discrimination Act (excluding reasonable alternative provisions that may be currently in place) and other building regulation requirements.

Light Pollution

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what measures the Government have taken to tackle light pollution since 1997; and what plans the Government have for future measures to tackle it.

Yvette Cooper: The Clean Neighbourhoods and Environment Act 2005 amended section 79 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to include artificial light emitted from premises which is prejudicial to health or a nuisance capable of constituting a statutory nuisance.
	The Government is developing an annexe on light pollution to go with planning policy statement 23.

Liverpool (Article 14 Direction)

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will make a statement on her decision to issue an Article 14 direction in Liverpool.

Meg Munn: An Article 14 direction was issued on 17 July 2006 to provide the Secretary of State with more time to consider representations and the issues raised. The direction was removed on 28 July 2006 and Liverpool city council has subsequently granted permission for the developments.

Local Authority Finance

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 12 English local authorities in each class had the highest 2005-06 budget requirement over standard spending assessment in  (a) cash and  (b) percentage terms.

Phil Woolas: A table has been placed in the Library of the House showing the 2005-06 formula spending share, the 2005-06 budget requirement, the difference between these and the percentage difference between these, together with the rank in descending order of the difference and percentage difference.
	Please note that standard spending assessments were replaced with formula spending shares in 2003-04. Formula spending shares have never been the Government's assessment of how much an authority should spend. They were formulae used in the calculation of revenue support grant. Authorities are free to set their own budgets taking into account local priorities.

Local Authority Finance

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 30 English local authorities had the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest council tax collection rates, (i) as a percentage of council tax due and (ii) in cash terms in the last year for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The 30 English local authorities with the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest council tax collection rates as a percentage of council tax due in 2005-06 are shown in the following table. A statistical release providing further details about council tax collection rates for 2005-06 was issued on 21 June and is available from the Department for Communities and Local Government website at
	http://www.local.communities.gov.uk/finance/ctax/cp056.htm.
	Collection of council taxes continues once the financial year to which they relate has ended. This means that the final collection rate achieved is somewhere between the figures shown here and 100 per cent.
	The figures shown in the table are the amount received in respect of the 2005-06 financial year's council taxes collected in that year as a percentage of the net collectable debit in respect of that year's council taxesthat is, the income that authorities would collect if everyone liable paid, net of estimated receipts of council tax benefit.
	
		
			  Receipts of 2005-06 council taxes by 31 March 2006 as a percentage of net collectable debit 
			   Percentage 
			 North Hertfordshire 99.5 
			 North Kesteven 99.4 
			 Surrey Heath 99.3 
			 East Dorset 99.3 
			 Tewkesbury 99.3 
			 Amber Valley 99.2 
			 Mole Valley 99.2 
			 Eden 99.2 
			 Broadland 99.2 
			 Elmbridge 99.1 
			 Wokingham 99.1 
			 Chiltern 99.1 
			 Wear Valley 99.1 
			 Vale of White Horse 99.1 
			 South Shropshire 99.1 
			 Rother 99.0 
			 South Hams 99.0 
			 Canterbury 99.0 
			 Lichfield 99.0 
			 Melton 99.0 
			 Epsom and Ewell 99.0 
			 Purbeck 98.9 
			 Guildford 98.9 
			 Fareham 98.9 
			 Ashford 98.9 
			 Isles of Scilly 98.9 
			 North Shropshire 98.9 
			 Kennet 98.9 
			 Craven 98.9 
			 South Derbyshire 98.8 
			 Redbridge 94.6 
			 Harlow 94.5 
			 Tower Hamlets 94.5 
			 Blyth Valley 94.4 
			 Slough 94.3 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 94.3 
			 Medway Towns 94.3 
			 Liverpool 94.3 
			 Birmingham 94.0 
			 Lewisham 94.0 
			 Croydon 93.9 
			 Leicester 93.8 
			 Wakefield 93.8 
			 Haringey 93.4 
			 Luton 93.2 
			 Islington 93.2 
			 Greenwich 93.2 
			 Nottingham City 93.2 
			 Lambeth 93.1 
			 Waltham Forest 93.0 
			 Barking and Dagenham 93.0 
			 Southwark 93.0 
			 Middlesbrough 92.8 
			 Brent 92.7 
			 Portsmouth 92.6 
			 Southampton 92.6 
			 Newham 90.5 
			 Manchester 89.1 
			 Hackney 87.5 
			 Salford 87.1

Local Authority Searches

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of local authorities are able to provide local authority searches electronically.

Yvette Cooper: More than 98 per cent. of the local authorities in England and Wales that deal with search inquiries are able to receive and return them electronically via the National Land Information Service (NLIS).

Local Authority Staff

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which 30 English local authorities in each class have the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest (i) actual staffing levels and (ii) staffing levels per thousand of population.

Phil Woolas: The information requested is not held centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, column 125W, on the local government pension scheme, what her estimate is of the total cost to local authorities in each of the three years in cash terms.

Phil Woolas: Information on actual employer contributions is not available. The most recent year for which data is available is 2004-05. From this it has been possible to estimate a pensionable payroll figure of 24.6 billion for all Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) employers. Some 80 per cent. of this figure relates to local authorities only, and on this basis a further estimate of employers' contributions would, in 2004-05 terms, be in the range of 2.4-2.6 billion in 2005-06, 2.7-2.9 billion in 2006-07 and 3.1-3.3 billion in 2007-08. These estimates are derived from annual returns submitted to the Department by LGPS administering authorities in England and Wales.

Local Government Pension Scheme

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of council tax was used to fund local government pensions in the last period for which figures are available.

Phil Woolas: The most recent information available shows that in 2004-05, expenditure on benefits paid from the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) totalled 4 billion, representing 4.5 per cent. of the 89 billion expenditure on general services by English local authorities. In the same period, total pension fund income totalled 7.7 billion, comprising employer contributions of 4 billion, employee contributions of 1.4 billion and income from investments of 2.3 billion.
	Information about the extent to which council tax revenue may have been used to support the payment of contributions into LGPS pension funds by individual local authorities is not held centrally.

Local Government Strikes

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate the Government have made of the number of local government employees who went on strike during the recent local government strike action.

Phil Woolas: This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

London Governance

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received regarding the new powers given to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Assembly; and if she will make a statement.

Phil Woolas: Since announcing the package of additional powers for the Greater London Authority on 13 July, the Secretary of State has received representations in writing from David Evennett MP; Simon Hughes MP; Councillor Brian Coleman, Chair of the London Assembly; Councillor Merrick Cockell, Chair of the Association of London Government; and Gareth Daniel, Chief Executive of the London Borough of Brent. The Government also received 337 responses to consultation on its proposals for additional powers for the Mayor and Assembly. The consultation exercise took place from 30 November 2005 to 22 February 2006. Copies of the responses were placed in the Libraries of the House on 13 July.

Maladministration

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many cases of alleged maladministration were referred to the Local Government Ombudsman in each year between 2000 and 2006, broken down by local authority; and how many resulted in  (a) no action,  (b) full investigation and  (c) a finding of maladministration in each case in each year.

Phil Woolas: I have asked the chair of the Commission for Local Administration (the Local Government Ombudsman) to write to my hon. Friend on this matter. I shall arrange for a copy of his reply to be placed in the Library of the House.

Millennium Dome

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what priority return will be due to the Anschutz Entertainment Group from English Partnerships with regard to the millennium dome;
	(2)  what payments the Exchequer will receive from  (a) turnover and  (b) operating profit made by (i) Meridian Delta and (ii) Anschutz Entertainment Group once the millennium/O2 dome is open to the public as an entertainment venue; in what form; and for how long.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Member for Streatham (Keith Hill) on 18 June 2004,  Official Report, column 62WS.

Millennium Dome

Hugo Swire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the life span of the clay cap at the millennium dome site.

Yvette Cooper: The life span of the clay capping layer is designed to be permanent, if not disturbed.

MoveUK

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government 
	(1)  what the purpose is of the MoveUK website project; and if she will make a statement;
	(2)  how much public money has been allocated to the MoveUK website project;
	(3)  when the MoveUK website project was initiated; and when it will go live;
	(4)  which company has been awarded the MoveUK website project contract; and at what cost over the lifetime of the contract.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial written statement to Parliament: Housing Employment Mobility Services (moveUK) on 18 September 2006,  Official Report, column 133WS, which announced the termination of the HEMS Agreement (moveUK) in the interests of the public and the taxpayer.

Out-of-town Developments

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Government have to review planning policy  (a) guidance and  (b) circulars on out-of-town development; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: There are currently no plans to review Planning Policy Statement 6: Planning for Town Centres.

Planning

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she has taken to ensure that proper consideration is given to the concept of groups of villages as preferred locations for new housing development at examinations in public of local development frameworks.

Yvette Cooper: The process for carrying out examinations is set out in the Planning Inspectorate bookletDevelopment Plans ExaminationA Guide to the Process of Assessing the Soundness of Development Plan Documents. This says that one of the nine tests is conformitythat a plan should be consistent with national planning policy and in general conformity with the Regional Spatial Strategy.
	PPG 3 sets out current national planning policy for housing, including the sequential test for identifying housing sites. This is due to be replaced later in the year with PPS 3. Inspectors should take account of both these and of the Regional Spatial Strategy when carrying out LDF examinations.

Planning

John Greenway: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many local authorities  (a) have adopted and  (b) plan to adopt a local development framework which provides for a group of villages as a suitable location for new housing in the development plan.

Yvette Cooper: The Department does not collect this level of detail on local development frameworks.

Planning

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what distinction is drawn in planning guidance between residential care homes and private housing.

Meg Munn: The Town and Country Planning (Use Classes) Order 1987, as amended, (the UCO), sets out classes of uses, changes within which do not require planning permission owing to the similarity in their impact on local amenityfor example,traffic generation, noise, and visual appearance.
	The UCO classifies residential care homes under the C2 use class. Apart from educational establishments, the characteristic of the uses contained in this class is the provision of personal care and treatment. This class excludes premises where security is a principal element. Any change of use to or from this use would normally require planning permission.
	The UCO classifies dwelling houses under the C3 use class. This includes dwelling houses used by a single person, by any number of persons living as a family, or by no more than six people living together as a single household (including a household where care is provided for the residents). The key element in the use of a dwelling house for non-family purposes is the concept of a single household. Any change of use to or from this use would normally require planning permission.
	Planning Guidance on residential development in general can be found in Planning Policy Guidance Note 3: Housing.

Planning

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans the Government have to change planning regulations as a consequence of the Energy Review.

Yvette Cooper: Reflecting the programme of action set out in 'The Energy Challenge' published by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (Cmd 6887), we will consult later this year on the draft of a new Planning Policy Statement on climate change. This will set out how the Government expect participants in the planning process to work towards the reduction of carbon emissions in the location, siting and design of new development. We are also working on proposals with the aim of promoting further the take-up of microgeneration technology by removing the need to apply for planning permission for certain types of installation. Major energy infrastructure is covered by other consent regimes reporting to the DTI rather than town and country planning. We will consult on any proposed changes in this area once the findings of the Eddington study and the Barker review are clear.

Planning

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will amend planning legislation to prevent planning applications on property where the applicant does not own the property in whole or part and the applicant does not have the consent of the owner to apply for permission.

Yvette Cooper: The Government have no proposals to amend planning legislation in the way suggested.

Planning

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment her Department has made of the quality of statements of community involvement.

Yvette Cooper: As part of the implementation of the new planning system, the Department set up a three year research projectSpatial Plans in Practicein April 2005. This is looking at how the new plan preparation process is being implemented by local planning authorities including how authorities have undertaken and used the Statement of Community Involvement. The publication of the study on community involvement is due for publication early in 2007.

Planning

Paul Truswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps her Department is taking to promote community involvement in the planning process; what plans she has to extend such involvement; what input her Department has had into the Barker Review of land use planning commissioned by the Treasury; whether this has included community involvement; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer 11 September 2006
	The Government have said that community engagement is essential to the delivery of sustainable development and creating sustainable and safe communities. In developing the vision for their area, local planning authorities are required to ensure that their communities are able to contribute to how that vision can be achieved through participation in drawing up the vision, policies and proposals. We have set out minimum standards of engagement in regulations, and in addition all local planning authorities are required to prepare a Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) under section 18(1) of the Planning and Compulsory Purchase Act 2004.
	The Barker Review of Land Use Planning was jointly commissioned by the Chancellor and the Deputy Prime Minister. It is an independent review being undertaken by Kate Barker. Between January and March 2006, the independent review team undertook a formal consultation process calling for evidence. A comprehensive list of stakeholders was contacted and the document made available on the web. Over 200 responses were received and these have been taken into account in drafting of the Interim Report which was published on 4 July.

Planning

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what role the  (a) Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and  (b) Deputy Prime Minister played in the planning permission process to redevelop the Eaglescliffe Logistics Centre in Middlesbrough.

Yvette Cooper: holding answer: 11 September 2006
	Neither the Deputy Prime Minister nor his officials played any role in the process of determining the original application by Cenargo Property Ltd for planning permission to erect warehousing and offices at the Eaglescliffe Logistics Centre. Planning permission was granted with conditions by Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council in November 2001.
	We understand that Stockton-on-Tees borough council is currently considering an application by Sanderson Weatherall, chartered surveyors on behalf of J G Eaglescliffe (Holdings) Ltd, to renew the original planning permission granted in 2001. There has been no ministerial or official involvement in this application for renewal.
	The borough council has also given Sanderson Weatherall a screening opinion on a proposal for mixed development on the site, comprising housing, a care home, an hotel, and Class Bl, B2 and B8 (office, retail and storage) uses. The borough council has advised that an environmental impact assessment (EIA) would be required with any planning application for this proposal. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State would need to consider any request for a screening direction that an EIA is not required. We have received no such request so far.

Regeneration Schemes

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps she is taking to encourage local authorities to continue to support regeneration projects initiated by the Government after central funding ends; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The Government work closely with local authorities on the regeneration of their areas. A normal condition of Government funding for regeneration projects is that an evaluation is carried out to assess whether the project's objectives have been achieved. Another is that a forward strategy is prepared to show how the project will be sustained once public sector funding has ceased. It would be for the local authority to decide whether additional money should be provided from the funding that it has available for any further work it considers necessary, taking into account other regeneration priorities in the area.
	The Government have introduced local area agreements (LAAs) to enable local authorities and their partners to use pooled funding to take a more flexible approach to delivering priorities. During the early negotiations of local area agreements, many local areas advocated the need for an extra LAA block to cover economic and regeneration issues more explicitly. This was also the view of government and the introduction of a new economic development block was announced in the 2005 budget and came into effect from April this year.

Register of Home Condition Reports

Eric Pickles: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what his estimate is of the median cost of a Home Condition Report.

Yvette Cooper: I have been asked to reply.
	The cost of a full Home Condition Report (HCR) will be set by the market. The Homebuyers Survey and Valuation, which is similar in content, currently costs 400 on average (or 484.85 including VAT). We expect competition in the market to ensure that costs are held down.

Repossessions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many court orders have been issued for the repossession of homes in each year since 1997, broken down by local authority area.

Harriet Harman: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested has been placed in the Libraries of the House.
	The civil procedure rules state that all claims for the repossession of land must be commenced in the district in which the land is situated. However, county courts' jurisdictions are not coterminous with borough boundaries, and therefore any single court's repossession actions are likely to relate to homes in a number of different boroughs.
	These figures do not indicate how many houses have been repossessed through the courts, since not all the orders will have resulted in the issue and execution of warrants of possession.

Spatial Addressing Infrastructure Project

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the main obstacles are to her Department's agreeing the National Spatial Addressing Infrastructure project; and what prospects there are for an agreement.

Phil Woolas: The proposed agreement involves a financial transfer between the partners and discussions are ongoing.

Special Protection Areas

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government whether local authorities can require developers wishing to develop inside a special protection area (SPA) and its radius to provide land in mitigation for that development and its notional impact on the SPA.

Yvette Cooper: Development which has an adverse effect on the integrity of an SPA, and which is not directly connected with or necessary to the management of the site, needs to be in accordance with Regulations 48 and 49 of the Conservation (Natural Habitats, c.) Regulations 1994. The regulations transpose the provision of the EC Habitats Directive into UK law.
	Where development is permitted the Secretary of State must secure that any necessary compensatory measures are taken to ensure that the overall coherence of Natura 2000 is protected. One way of doing this could be through the provision of land in mitigation. Further guidance is provided in Government Circular: Biodiversity and Geological ConservationStatutory Obligations and Their Impact Within The Planning System Office of the Deputy Prime Minister Circular 06/2005, Department for Food and Rural Affairs Circular 01/2005.

Special Protection Areas

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment the Government have made of the effect of special protection areas status on  (a) the viability of the provision of affordable housing,  (b) the rate of new development and house building and  (c) the construction industry in the area and its vicinity.

Yvette Cooper: Special Protection Areas (SPAs) are classified under the EU Birds Directive and receive statutory protection under The Conservation (Natural Habitats, c) Regulations 1994. ECJ case law confirms that member states are not permitted to take economic factors into account when classifying SPAs or defining their boundaries. The regulations set out the way in which SPAs should be protected, including how the implications of new developments should be considered.
	The Government are working with stakeholdersincluding the construction industryto consider and address the effects of Special Protection Areas for the continuing delivery of housing.
	For example, in the south-east a range of activities are in hand to facilitate development around the Thames Basin Heaths SPA. English Nature has published a draft Thames Basin Heaths Delivery Plan, designed to provide a means of mitigating the potential adverse effects of increased housing, and the Government Office for the South East (GOSE) is working with them, local authorities, developers and others to explore the practicalities and flexibilities in the delivery plan approach. The delivery plan, along with other evidence, will be considered at the Examination in Public of the South East Plan in November. The plan is due to be adopted in 2008 and will set a regional spatial strategy for the south east region with strategic policies on the SPA which will inform local councils' local development frameworks.
	GOSE, English Nature and others are also working with a number of local planning authorities to develop 'mini-plans'area-specific packages of measures to allow development in accordance with the Birds and Habitats Directives in the short to medium term.

Supporting People Programme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will meet Stoke-on-Trent Council to discuss proposals to make the Supporting People programme a statutory housing support service.

Phil Woolas: I would be pleased to meet with a delegation from Stoke-on-Trent Council to discuss this issue.

Supporting People Programme

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received from local councils in respect of the basis on which the Supporting People programme has been calculated.

Phil Woolas: The consultation on the development of a strategy for the Supporting People programme, which concluded on 28 February 2006, asked for views on how Government should approach the calculation of grant allocations for individual Supporting People authorities. We received 1,130 responses, including 166 from local councils, as well as responses from consultation events and representations made outside this process. A summary of those responses was published on 11 July 2006 and is available on our Supporting People websitewww.spkweb.org.uk.
	As I announced on 19 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 22-23WS, those responses were taken into account in determining our approach to Supporting People allocations for 2007-08, and further analysis of those responses will be carried out with a view to taking forward work on how we can distribute future funding based on need.

Sustainable Communities Conference

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the net cost was to public funds of the 2006 Sustainable Communities Conference organised by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister.

Yvette Cooper: The Office of the Deputy Prime Minister did not organise a 2006 Sustainable Communities Conference. The Local Government Association organised a Sustainable Communities Conference in Birmingham, 13-15 February 2006 and officials from the Department for Communities and Local Government did attend.

Telecommunications Masts

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has issued to local authorities on defining close proximity to residential areas and schools when considering planning applications for mobile telephone masts.

Meg Munn: Mobile phone mast development in residential areas is subject to the normal telecommunications planning arrangements in place throughout England, set out in Part 24 of The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995 (GPDO). These arrangements were significantly strengthened in 2001 and include improved requirements for consulting local people about mast proposals. The changes to the GPDO were underpinned by revised guidance, set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 8, Telecommunications.
	The Stewart Report on Mobile Phones and Health, published in May 2000, did not recommend that the erection of mobile phone masts should be restricted in residential areas and we have no plans to introduce any such restrictions.
	It did not recommend that the erection of masts on or near schools should be prohibited.

Thames Gateway

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the merits of establishing a regional observatory for the Thames Gateway, tasked to develop, collect and maintain key statistics that will illustrate the extent to which social, environmental and economic policy objectives are being achieved.

Yvette Cooper: The Department is developing, in consultation with local delivery partners, a database of the social, environmental and economic characteristics of the Gateway and of different local areas within the Gateway.
	We have also funded the development of the Thames Gateway Knowledge Platform. A database that complements our own proposals allows users to obtain various datasets and statistics for the areas that they are interested in within the Gateway. This database can be used to monitor various social, environmental and economic trends at a local level and can be found at http://tblp.localknowledge.co.uk.

Thames Gateway

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of whether the local planning authorities in the Thames Gateway are  (a) making a realistic assessment of the overall quantity of employment land that is likely to be needed across the area and  (b) developing programmes to oversee the reallocation of excessive land for other purposes, including housing.

Yvette Cooper: It is the role of regional and local planning authorities, in preparing and reviewing their development plans, to make a realistic assessment of the overall quantity of employment land that is likely to be needed in their area, in the context of national planning policy.
	Planning Policy Guidance 4: Industrial, commercial development and small firms, requires planning authorities to ensure that there is a sufficient quantity and variety of land available for industry and commerce, which is readily capable of development and well-served by infrastructure.
	Planning Policy Guidance note 3: Housing (PPG3), published in March 2000, asks local planning authorities to review their non-housing allocations of land (including employment land), when reviewing their development plan and consider whether some of this land might better be used for housing or mixed use developments. The PPG3 update Supporting the Delivery of New Housing, published in January 2005, added a new paragraph to PPG3. This advocates the re-use of land allocated for industrial and commercial use, where it would be better used for housing and mixed use development unless there is a realistic prospect of the allocation being taken up for its stated use in the plan period, or that its development for housing would undermine regional and local strategies for housing, economic development and regeneration.
	To assist planning authorities in assessing the overall demand and supply of employment land, the Government published 'Employment Land Reviews: Guidance Note' (December 2004). This guidance seeks to help planning authorities assess the suitability of sites to accommodate employment development, to help them protect the best sites in the face of competition from higher value uses and to help them identify those sites which are no longer needed for employment development and which can be made available for other uses.

Thames Gateway

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will encourage local planning authorities in the Thames Gateway to create a design advisory panel with statutory consultee status which would be required to offer an opinion on the design quality of significant development proposals, including at the planning stage.

Yvette Cooper: The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is the Government's statutory adviser on architecture, urban design and public space. CABE is a non-statutory consultee in the planning process.
	The Department funds CABE to provide a free Design Review service to disseminate best practice to developers, design teams and planning authorities in England. This service offers expert independent assessment of proposed schemes at an early stage of the planning process. Local planning authorities are encouraged to submit schemes to be reviewed if they are strategic because of their scale or location, or if they set standards for future development.
	Since January 2004, CABE's Design Review programme has handled over 100 cases from the Thames Gateway local authorities, including several schemes of strategic importance such as Barking Riverside and The Warren at Woolwich Arsenal.
	The Thames Gateway Forum is looking at other ways to strengthen design in the gateway.

Thames Gateway

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will undertake an audit of the design skills available among local authorities in the Thames Gateway and encourage the regional centres of excellence to address shortcomings that are identified.

Yvette Cooper: The Department engages with a number of organisations in the Thames Gateway on design issues, including Regional Centres of Excellence, Essex Design Initiative, Kent Architecture, Urban Design London and the Greater London Authorities Architecture and Urbanism Unit. Together, these bodies have considered the existing design skills of local authorities and have in place a range of activities, including guidance and training, to address gaps.
	DCLG is also funding specific initiatives through the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) and the Academy for Sustainable Communities (ASC). CABE has established a Design Task Group for the Growth Areas, which is a learning network open to individuals in local authorities and local delivery vehicles across the four growth areas. The ASC is establishing a number of Learning Laboratories with Regional Centres of Excellence, including one with Inspire East to focus on the Thames Gateway South Essex sub region around Basildon. This will focus on auditing existing skills and identifying and addressing gaps to improve design quality in the area.
	As in the rest of England, the majority of local authorities in the Thames Gateway now have a dedicated design champion to promote better quality design in the built environment.

Thames Gateway

John Gummer: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if the Government will examine the 2002 Density Direction with a view to raising the intervention threshold in the Thames Gateway.

Yvette Cooper: The 2005 Density Direction provides that development on sites of one hectare or more, or where residential density is either not provided in the application or 30 dwellings per hectare or less, must be notified to the Secretary of State and may be called in. The Department will keep the thresholds under review in the context of finalising planning guidance statement PPS3 (Housing).

Thames Gateway

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what representations she has received on population density in the Thames Gateway area.

Yvette Cooper: There have been no specific representations received on population densities in the Thames Gateway area.

Thames Gateway

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to increase  (a) population density and  (b) house-building programmes in the Thames Gateway area; and if she will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: A total of 120,000 new homes and 180,000 new jobs are proposed for the Thames Gateway, predominantly on brownfield land. Current guidance for new housing developments states that local planning authorities are to avoid inefficient development of less than 30 dwellings per hectare (dph), encourage developments of between 30 and 50 dph, and seek greater intensity of development at places with good public transport accessibility.
	We will be publishing an interim Strategic Framework document later this year which will set out the current position of the Gateway programme and state the next steps.

Thames Gateway

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many units of residential accommodation were constructed in the Thames Gateway in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: Before 2001-02 information on new build dwellings was available by local authority only. Figures more specific to the Gateway boundary are available for the years 2001-02 to 2004-05. Figures for the period 2005-06 will be available shortly. The Thames Gateway boundary differs from local authority boundaries as it was established to specifically include those areas that contain a high proportion of brownfield land rather than follow the administrative boundary line of the local authorities concerned. The local authority boundaries include for example house building in the rest of Kent and the rest of Essex even where those areas are not part of the Thames Gateway.
	
		
			   Number 
			 1996-97 (1)6,665 
			 1997-98 (1)7,019 
			 1998-99 (1)7,071 
			 1999-2000 (1)7,893 
			 2000-01 (1)7,440 
			 2001-02 (2)3,570 
			 2002-03 (2)6,382 
			 2003-04 (2)6,999 
			 2004-05 (2)7,012 
			 (1 )Local authority only (2 )More specific to the Gateway boundary Source for the local authority only figures:  P2 house building return from local authorities and National House Building Council

Training Courses

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 592W, on training courses, what the expenditure of her Department and its predecessor on AKT Productions was since 2002.

Angela Smith: From April 2002 to July 2006, expenditure on AKT Productions has been 39,728.

Unitary Authorities

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what her preferred minimum population size is for a new unitary authority.

Phil Woolas: We will set out the approach to restructuring in the forthcoming Local Government White Paper which will be published shortly.

Valuation Office Agency

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the answer of 21 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1877W to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles) on the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), for what purpose the data on the location of social housing was given to the VOA; and in what ways those data are used to contribute to property valuations.

Phil Woolas: Data on the location of subsidised housing were obtained to support work that was being undertaken by the Valuation Office Agency to digitise its database of property attribute codes. The data have helped to confirm which properties were built as subsidised housing with a view to ensuring consistency in analysis of open market sales and valuations.

Valuation Office Agency

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1600W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Brentwood and Ongar (Mr. Pickles), on the Valuation Office Agency, if she will publish the internal guidance and manual used to designate, classify and refine the locality data for the Automated Valuation Model.

Phil Woolas: The Valuation Office Agency has no internal guides or manuals setting out what constitutes a locality or how a locality boundary should be determined or refined.

Deputy Prime Minister's Office

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the floor space was of the Deputy Prime Minister's former office at 26 Whitehall.

John Prescott: I have been asked to reply.
	I have been given a role by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister overseeing and co-ordinating Government policy across the full range of domestic policy areas through the Cabinet Committee system, and deputising for him at home and abroad, particularly in relation to China. To support me I have an office which will be called the Deputy Prime Minister's Office. It will be established as a separate Government Department and funded by a Parliamentary Vote for which my Office will apply shortly. My Principal Private Secretary will be the Accounting Officer for the vote. At present, my Office employs 18 staff, including two special advisers. I also receive support and briefing from other Government Departments as necessary according to the issue I am dealing with at the time. Most of the staff employed by my Office are seconded from the Department for Communities and Local Government and their salary costs are met by my Office. My office continues to be based in 26 Whitehall.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

Afghanistan

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the decision by President Hamid Karzai's cabinet in Afghanistan to re-establish the Department of Vice and Virtue; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Afghan parliament has not yet debated the proposal to establish a Department for the Promulgation of Virtue and Prohibition of Vice nor have Terms of Reference been agreed.
	We and our international partners are following developments closely and continue to encourage the Afghan government to observe its international human rights obligations.

Afghanistan

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Afghan President on the appointment processes for the new Cabinet and Supreme Court with particular reference to the inclusion of women.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not discussed this particular matter with President Karzai. The Foreign Secretary and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister do however have regular conversations with President Karzai on a range of issues.

Afghanistan

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what percentage of governors in Afghanistan are female.

Kim Howells: The only female governor is Habiba Sarabi of Bamiyan Province. In total there are 34 provinces.

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in what ways the Government works with the UN Office on Drugs and Crime to support and enhance the counter-narcotics struggle in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The UK works very closely with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) on counter narcotics in Afghanistan. We are the biggest single donor to UNODC projects in Afghanistan, contributing 2.2 million in Financial Year 2005-06 to UNODC projects in support of the Afghan government's National Drug Control Strategy. Our contribution this year will be on a similar scale. Afghan-related UNODC projects which the UK supports include: the annual Afghan Opium Survey; the development of a counter narcotics Criminal Justice Task Force of judges, prosecutors and investigators; capacity building for the Counter Narcotics Police of Afghanistan; the establishment of a high-security prison wing in Kabul; Afghan/Iranian border control; precursor chemical control; opium demand reduction; and the establishment of the Central Asian Regional Information and Co-ordination Centre. We work closely with the UNODC to ensure that these projects are managed appropriately and deliver against their objectives.

Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the links between the Taliban, regional warlords and the opium economy in Afghanistan.

Kim Howells: The Taliban derives economic benefits from the drugs trade at the local level. There are longstanding links between the Taliban and traffickers based on personal relationships, tribal loyalties and business interests. They share a common interest in resisting the Afghan government and coalition forces. The Taliban is also attempting to exploit the continued existence of the drugs trade to undermine the central government's authority. In the south, there was evidence earlier this year that the Taliban was encouraging farmers to grow opium poppy and resist Afghan government eradication efforts. The Taliban also received payments from traffickers. However in the north, regional warlords and drug traffickers are more likely to resist the Taliban when this would be in their interests. We continue to assess all links closely and to support Afghan efforts to disrupt these.

Afghanistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to ensure co-operation between  (a) her Department,  (b) the Ministry of Defence and  (c) the Department for International Development in tackling the goals agreed in the London Compact.

Kim Howells: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and the Department for International Development (DFID) are working in close co-operation to ensure the Government provide coherent support to the Afghan government as it works with international partners to implement the Afghanistan Compact.
	There are regular meetings at ministerial and official level between the three Departments, while FCO, MOD and DFID representatives in Afghanistan co-ordinate efforts to ensure a complementary approach. The deployment of a fully-integrated multi-disciplinary military/civilian mission to Helmand Province demonstrates the importance of a continued cross-government strategy.

Afghanistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in stabilising President Karzai's government since the London Compact; and what successful infrastructure building has taken place in Afghanistan since then.

Kim Howells: The UN-led Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board (JCMB) was set up under the Compact to deliver improved co-ordination of the international community's engagement. The JCMB is leading work to strengthen the capacity of Afghan ministries, including the Ministry of Counter-Narcotics and the Ministry of Finance. Critically to this process, the National Assembly has now approved the 25 cabinet ministers put forward by President Karzai and the national budget for 2006-07.
	At the London Conference, the Afghan government presented the Interim National Development Strategy: a credible plan for the Afghan government to achieve its commitments under the Compact and to meet its Millennium Development Goals. The UK is the largest bilateral donor to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF). Since the ARTF was set up by the Afghan government in 2002, it has funded the construction or repair of rural roads, schools, health clinics and irrigation schemes.

Afghanistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made in Afghanistan's Department of Finance in collecting taxes and duties as a result of UK help; and what estimate she has made of how much extra the Afghanistan Government has committed to its poverty reduction and growth programme as a result.

Kim Howells: Domestic revenues have grown impressively in Afghanistan in recent years, albeit from a low base. In 2002-03 domestic revenues were only US $121 million (3.2 per cent. of GDP) but had risen to US $400 million (5.5 per cent. of GDP) by 2005-06.
	The UK has actively supported the Afghan Government's effort to raise revenues, specifically through projects in the Customs and Revenue Departments of the Ministry of Finance. The projects have been successfulvalidated by recent external reviewsin building the capacity of officials in the Ministry of Finance to implement tax policy and administration. This has also been recognised by the Government of Afghanistan, which has asked the UK to act as lead donor in supporting tax reform. The reforms are an Afghan government-led process implemented by Finance Ministry officials.
	Poverty-related spending has also increased substantially over recent years. Health spending increased rapidly from US $16 million in 2002-03 to US $45 million in 2005-06. Education spending has increased from US $48 million to US $142 million over the same period. The UK is further assisting the Afghan Government in its prioritising of poverty and growth-related spending through technical assistance to the Budget Department of the Ministry of Finance and through our contribution to the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund.

Algeria

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of recent Islamist attacks in Algeria; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Although Algiers and other major cities have been free of terrorist activity since mid- 2004. small-scale attacks continue elsewhere, especially in rural areas of northern Algeria. Algeria's most active terrorist group is the Groupe Salafiste pour la Predication et le Combat whose stated aim is to target so-called infidel foreign interests in Algeria. The UK condemns attempts by armed groups to undermine stability and democracy in Algeria.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has paid tribute to President Bouteflika for the changes he has brought about in Algeria since he was elected. The National Charter for Peace and Reconciliation, which was approved in a referendum in September 2005, offers an opportunity to draw a line under the violence of the 1990s.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice for Algeria is available at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket%2FXcelerate%2FShowPagec=Pagecid=1007029390590a=KCountrvAdviceaid=1013618385585.

Ascension Island

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs with whom  (a) she has and  (b) officials from her Department have discussed the future of Ascension Island since 20 April.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has had no discussions on the future of Ascension Island since 20 April 2006. Officials in London have met specifically to discuss Ascension Island on the following occasions:
	
		
			  Date  Occasion 
			 25 May Richard James International. 
			 20 June Cable and Wireless. 
			 17 July Quarterly round table meeting with the Permanent Joint Headquarters (Ministry of Defence), BBC, VT Merlin, Government Communications Headquarters, Cable and Wireless, Administrator Ascension, UK Base Commander. 
			 19 and 20 July An Overseas Territories Department adviser visited Ascension Island to meet with Councillors. 
			 27 July Governor of St. Helena in London for discussions with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and other Government Departments. 
			 29 August Richard James International. 
			 11 September Attorney General, St. Helena. 
		
	
	The Administrator and UK Base Commander were present at the round table meeting in July, and the Governor visited the Department in July as this coincided with their leave periods in the UK. The Attorney General visited the Department while in the UK on leave. In addition to these meetings in London, the Governor and Administrator hold regular meetings with the Island Council on Ascension Island.

Ascension Island

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions are scheduled to take place, involving  (a) her and  (b) officials from her Department regarding Ascension Island; and with whom the discussions will be held.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has no meetings scheduled to take place regarding Ascension Island. My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, is scheduled to meet with a Councillor from Ascension Island in the margins of the Overseas Territories Consultative Council (OTCC) in November. Officials in London have the following meetings either scheduled or proposed at which Ascension Island may be discussed:
	
		
			  Date  Scheduled/proposed meeting 
			 26 October Head of Overseas Territories Department (OTD) will make a familiarisation visit to Ascension Island. 
			 October/November Quarterly meeting with the Permanent Joint Headquarters (Ministry of Defence), BBC, VT Merlin, Government Communications Headquarters, Cable and Wireless. 
			 2023 November Ascension Island Councillor will be in the UK to participate in the OTCC and will also have meetings with the Head of OTD and other officials. 
		
	
	In addition to these meetings, the Governor and Administrator will continue to hold regular meetings with the Ascension Island Council on island.

Bangladesh

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Government of Bangladesh concerning human rights; and what responses have been received.

Kim Howells: We have concerns about human rights in Bangladesh. In particular on the actions of the police in public order situations, the accountability of the Rapid Action Battalion relating to cross-fire incidents and growing levels of intolerance towards religious minorities and indigenous groups.
	The Government of Bangladesh has assured us of its commitment to safeguard the rights and freedoms of all its citizens. We welcome this and together with EU and international partners, continue to monitor human rights issues closely and to encourage the Government of Bangladesh to meet its constitutional and international obligations in this area. As a member of the UN Human Rights Council, Bangladesh should uphold high standards in the promotion and protection of human rights.

Bangladesh

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what arrangements are being made for UK observers to be present in Bangladesh during the election period in January 2007.

Kim Howells: Our current focus is on EU election monitoring. Our high commission in Dhaka was in close contact with an EU election observation team that visited Bangladesh recently. Should the EU proceed with an election observation mission for the elections due to take place in January 2007, the UK will look to nominate observers.

Belarus

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what measures she is taking to promote democracy and reform in Belarus.

Geoff Hoon: The UK, in co-operation with our partners in the EU and US, is committed to supporting efforts to develop democracy in Belarus. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has funded projects over the past year in a number of key human rights areas, principally via the Global Opportunities Fund Reuniting Europe programme and the Devolved Programme Budget. Projects have focused on local grassroots democracy building and youth participation in democracy activities. Funding has also been provided to expand the knowledge and understanding of human rights law, provide assistance to local non-governmental organisations and independent media. Since 1 November, the UK, as part of the EU, has funded independent radio broadcasts into Belarus. This recently launched 2 million project by the EU will last two years.

Belarus

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether it is her policy to promote closer relations between the UK, European Union and Belarus.

Geoff Hoon: The UK and EU have stated that they are willing to deepen the relationship with Belarus, but the Belarusian authorities must clearly demonstrate their respect for democratic values, fundamental rights and the rule of law. The UK and EU are committed to supporting democratisation and to demonstrating to the people of Belarus the benefits of closer co-operation. The UK supports current EU policy restricting ministerial level contact. However, the UK and EU will not abandon the people of Belarus. We will continue to help develop civil society and will look for every opportunity to improve contacts at official levels.

Belarus

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the political implications for Belarus were that country to lose its preferential tariff arrangement with the European Union.

Geoff Hoon: The regulations on the Generalised System of Preferences (GSP) clearly state the conditions on which the Preferences are granted. EU member states and Belarus both agreed to abide by those conditions. However, in 2004 the International Labour Organisation (ILO) concluded that the Belarusian authorities had seriously violated the basic civil liberties of trade union members and leaders. The European Commission subsequently launched its own investigation in 2005 which agreed with the ILO. It is clear Belarus has not met the standards necessary and is facing withdrawal of preferences, after a long and considered process. The Belarusians have had over two years to answer ILO and EU concerns. The decision is based on the clear criteria for GSP and does not form part of the EU sanctions introduced following the fraudulent elections earlier this year. The political implications were not therefore part of the decision making process. Nevertheless, it should send a signal that the EU is serious about the need for Belarus to honour its international obligations.

Belarus

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the  (a) progress with institution building and  (b) growth of civil society in Belarus under President Alexander Lukashenko; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: The centralisation of power in the hands of Alexander Lukashenko continues in Belarus to the detriment of fundamental freedoms and the development of an independent civil society. Lukashenko has cracked down on civil society organisations, the independent media and the opposition, imprisoning a number of people.
	In the build-up to the presidential election on 19 March 2006, the authorities put opposition figures and elements of civil society under intense pressure and closed or suspended independent media outlets (which also faced problems with printing, distribution, and arbitrarily applied fines and costs). The election itself was characterised by fraud and intimidation and the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe's election observation mission called it severely flawed due to the arbitrary use of state power and restrictions on basic rights. Subsequent attempts by the opposition to demonstrate against the result were broken up. Alexander Kozulin, a presidential candidate, was arrested on 25 March 2006 and sentenced to five and a half years in prison on 14 July 2006 for hooliganism and disturbing the peace. Opposition leader Alexander Milinkevich was arrested in April and sentenced to 15 days in prison for taking part in a demonstration on 26 April 2006 to mark the twentieth anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster.
	The only independent university in Minsk (European Humanities University) has been closed. Trade Unions also face major difficultiesan International Labour Organisation Commission of Inquiry has concluded that many of the basic civil liberties of trade union members and leaders in Belarus have been seriously infringed. The European Commission, fully supported by member states, has conducted its own investigation confirming these findings.
	On 10 April 2006, the EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Conclusions announced the imposition of a travel ban on 31 individuals, including Lukashenko, responsible for electoral fraud and the subsequent crackdown on civil society. On 18 May 2006 the EU implemented asset freezes against the same 31 individuals and five of the six people previously subject to travel bans.

Burma

Julie Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions have been held with the United Nations Advisor on Genocide on whether genocide is being committed in Burma.

Ian McCartney: I met Juan Mendez, UN Special Adviser for the Prevention of Genocide, on 27 June to discuss the human rights situation in Burma. I also invited him to come to Parliament to meet Members of both Houses. He is scheduled to visit on 14 November and I hope that my hon. Friend will attend the meeting. In addition, we have offered to help Mr Mendez with his work.
	Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and New York are in regular contact with Mr Mendez's office.

Chad

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the levels of tension between the Tamas and the Guereda people in Chad; and what assessment she has made of the likely impact on  (a) central government institutions and  (b) the situation in Sudan.

Ian McCartney: There is no resident UK mission in N'Djamena. We are aware of armed clashes between the Tamas and the Gorans in the Guereda area in Chad in July and are concerned that conflict among these groups may threaten to destabilise ethnically diverse State institutions, such as the police. We understand these clashes were local to Chad. We will continue to monitor the situation in Chad and any impact it may have on the situation in Darfur.

China

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on UK arms sales to China.

Kim Howells: All applications from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application. This process includes specific criteria whereby we will not issue a licence where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression, might aggravate existing tensions or conflict in the country of final destination, or that the export may be used aggressively against another country. Criteria 1 covers our international commitments, including sanctions agreed by the EU. Since 1989, China has been subject to an arms embargo agreed by the European Community. Details of all export licences approved to China are available in the Quarterly and Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls and are subject to detailed retrospective scrutiny by the Quadripartite Committee. The quarterly and annual reports are available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front? pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid=1119522594750.

Colombia

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the development of the conflict between Colombian rebels and  (a) government and  (b) paramilitary forces in Colombia during President Alvaro Uribe's first term in office; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: During President Alvaro Uribe's first four years in office, 2002-2006, his government has been actively involved in talks with the National Liberation Army, a left-wing guerrilla group. The latest round of talks took place in Cuba in April. The government's efforts to begin preliminary talks with the revolutionary armed forces of Colombia, the country's biggest illegal guerrilla group, have so far been consistently rejected.
	The EU General Affairs and External Relations Council Conclusions of October 2005 made clear that we and other EU member states consider that the effective implementation of the Law on Justice and Peace, the legal framework covering disarmament, demobilisation and reinsertion of ex-combatants approved by the Colombian Congress in July 2005, will have a positive impact on peace-building in Colombia. On 18 April 2006, the government announced the completion under this law of the formal process of paramilitary demobilisation, which saw over 30,000 paramilitaries demobilise. We urge other illegal armed groups also to engage in peace talks with the government.
	We will continue to monitor the situation and work with our partners to help the Government of Colombia address the challenges it faces as a result of the inter- connected problems of internal armed conflict, illegal drugs trade and human rights abuses.

Colombia

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the success of the drug eradication programme in Colombia; how much funding it received; and whether the drug eradication programme in Afghanistan could be improved by using the same techniques.

Kim Howells: Last year, the Colombian Government eradicated approximately 170,000 hectares of coca plants. We believe that eradication plays an important part alongside other measures in efforts to combat the production of cocaine in Colombia, but are not currently providing any funding for eradication there.
	President Karzai has reiterated his opposition to aerial eradication in Afghanistan on a number of occasions. We agree that aerial eradication would be inappropriate in the Afghan context and support the Afghan Government's approach which is based on ground-based eradication targeted where there is access to legal rural livelihoods.

Correspondence

Andrew MacKinlay: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many letters and emails have been received by heads of UK missions overseas in the past 12 months; what the average response time has been; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: This information is not held centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate cost.

Darfur/Sudan

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she plans to take to ensure that the 5 May Darfur peace accord is implemented by all parties.

Ian McCartney: We remain in close touch with the Government of Sudan, Minni Minawi, leader of one faction of the Sudan Liberation Movement, and the African Union (AU) and are urging them to move ahead rapidly with the implementation of the agreement.
	We are looking at what assistance we can offer to the key commissions which will be set up under the agreement. A key part of the implementation of the Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) is securing broader support for it. In August, the UK's Special Representative for Darfur and our Embassy staff in Khartoum began a programme of meetings with non-signatories to the DPA in Darfur to secure their support for the DPA. Our ambassador in Asmara has met non-signatories based in Eritrea. We will go on engaging with these groups. We will also continue to call on all parties to the conflict in Darfur to abide by the DPA and to cease hostilities. We are pressing the AU to investigate all acts of violence and ensure that it publicises and takes action on its findings.
	The UK has played a leading role in the planning process for an international recovery programme for Darfur, including providing funding and technical expertise for it. And we are helping the AU to publicise the DPA and its benefits in Darfur and across Sudan.
	The implementation of the security aspects of the DPA will be helped by the deployment of a UN force in Darfur. The UK piloted the negotiations on Resolution 1706, which mandated such a force, through the Security Council, and has been at the forefront of efforts to persuade President Bashir to accept such a force.
	My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister has also launched an initiative with international partners to encourage the Government of Sudan, inter alia, to accept a UN force and to engage properly with the non-signatories. Ministers attended a series of meetings with members of the UN at the UN General Assembly in New York from 18 to 22 September to discuss Sudan. We are working to bring together a broad coalition of countries to deliver a co-ordinated message to President Bashir.
	The AU force in Darfur has the task of implementing the security aspects of the DPA until a UN force can take over. We welcome the AU's decision at its 20 September Peace and Security Council meeting to extend its mandate to the end of the year and to increase the number of troops in Darfur. It is vital that the AU has enough resources to carry out its task. It is important for the UN to provide material and logistical support, as mandated by UN Security Council Resolution 1706, as soon as possible, and for the Arab League to make good its pledge of financial assistance.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of developments in security and stability in the Democratic Republic of Congo since January 2006; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The security situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) remains fragile, especially in the east, northeast and Kinshasa. Congolese militia and foreign armed groups continue to operate throughout the east, abusing local populations. Progress in reforming the security sector has been minimal and the army continue to pose a threat to peace and stability.
	The security situation in Kinshasa remains fragile following the violence which took place from 20-22 August. The UN peacekeeping force (MONUC) and EUFOR (EU force deployed to assist MONUC with security over the election period) are deployed in Kinshasa to help quell this violence. The international community continues to press Congolese political and military actors to respect the democratic process and to ensure troops under their command do not restart violence or abuse civilians.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she plans to take to try to stabilise the situation in Ituri Province, Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian McCartney: Pockets of instability persist in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), particularly in Ituri and the Kivus. Over 4,500 Ituri militiamen have been disarmed and demobilised since June following political pressure and military operations by the UN peacekeeping mission (MONUC), but some militia groups continue to persecute civilians where they are active.
	The United Kingdom joined Security Council (SC) partners in condemning the activities of these groups in UNSC Resolution 1653 in January 2006. We continue to urge regional governments to work together to disarm the groups, push for perpetrators of abuses to be brought to justice and maintain our support for the robust measures taken by MONUC in tackling these militia.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to strengthen the likelihood of free and fair elections in Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian McCartney: The completion of the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) election process through a free and fair second round of presidential elections, scheduled for 29 October, is vital for that nation's political and developmental future. We fully support the efforts of the DRC's Independent Electoral Commission. The UK has contributed over 30 million in bilateral support to the electoral process. My right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development visited Kinshasa on 11 September to encourage both presidential candidates to follow the electoral code of conduct and to ensure free and fair elections. We have repeated this message both bilaterally and through a UN Presidential Statement on 22 September. The full text of the statement is available on the UN website at: http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2006/sc8839.doc.htm.
	International observers, including UK observers, will be deployed on election day.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the total carbon emissions from  (a) her Department's buildings in the UK and  (b) embassies, consulates and other departmental property based abroad in each year since 1997.

Geoff Hoon: The total amount of carbon emissions from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's buildings in the UK for the financial years 1999-2000-2004-05 are listed in the following table. Data for 2005-06 is yet to be finalised.
	The information for the UK for the period 1997-99, and that for our properties overseas, is not held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
	
		
			  Financial year  Tonnes of carbon emissions 
			 1999-2000 3,200 
			 2000-01 3,300 
			 2001-02 3,000 
			 2002-03 3,200 
			 2003-04 3,300 
			 2004-05 3,400

Departmental Equipment

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what equipment her Department has  (a) misplaced and  (b) had stolen in (i) Iraq and (ii) Afghanistan in the last three years; and at what estimated cost.

Kim Howells: The only major items of equipment that have been reported as either misplaced or lost in Iraq in the last three years are:
	three satellite phones. Their combined value was 2,097.36. As a result of the loss the Foreign and Commonwealth Office incurred telephone charges of 594,370.99;
	and one mobile telephone, value 100.
	There have been no reported losses or thefts of equipment in Afghanistan.

Departmental Publications

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the  (a) circulation,  (b) cost and  (c) title is of each publication her Department has issued since 1 July 2005.

Geoff Hoon: A list of publications produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is included in the departmental report each year. This is available on the FCO website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid=1007029395438.
	Circulation figures and the individual production cost of each of the publications could only be collated at a disproportionate cost.

East Timor

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the situation in East Timor following the escape of prisoners including rebel leader Alfredo Reinado; and if she will support Australian efforts to prepare for a new United Nations mission in the country.

Ian McCartney: Major Alfredo Reinado and 56 prisoners escaped from Becora prison in Dili during the afternoon of 30 August. As yet the prisoners remain fugitives and international police, together with the military joint taskforce, have mounted a large-scale search operation to find them. While the jailbreak is a matter of serious concern, the general security situation in East Timor has stabilised significantly.
	We fully support the Australian taskforce and welcome UN Security Council resolution 1704 on the mandate for the new UN Mission to East Timor (UNMIT) which was agreed on 25 August. The UK played a key role in ensuring that the UNMIT mandate provides for robust support for East Timor at this crucial time, following the recent unrest. The Mission will focus on areas with the potential to lead to instability, including reconciliation, policing and capacity-building in governance, as well as crucial support to the elections scheduled for 2007. It also provides for an international police component within the Mission and an international military security force operating separately to the UN Mission. We hope that these measures will help East Timor move towards stability and reconciliation.

EU Commissioner for Migration

Graham Brady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the case for the creation of an EU Commissioner for Migration.

Geoff Hoon: holding answer 18 September 2006
	Franco Frattini, Vice-President of the Commission, is Commissioner for Justice, Freedom and Security, and has responsibility for EU immigration and asylum policy. The UK is not aware of any proposals to create an EU Commissioner for Migration.
	The President of the Commission, President Barroso, recently wrote to European Heads of state and government announcing that he had set up a special group in the Commission, chaired by Vice-President Frattini, that would bring together Commissioners from a variety of relevant policy areas to discuss EU migration policy. Better co-ordination across the Commission on existing work in this area could be helpful, and we welcome President Barroso's proposal. We hope that it will indeed lead to a more coherent and effective approach to managing migration into the EU.

European Constitution

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the progress of the European Constitution.

Geoff Hoon: There is no current consensus on the way forward for the European Constitutional Treaty. Since the French and Dutch No votes last year, the Government have made it consistently clear that this is not a decision for one member state alone. It is for the 25 member states together to make decisions about the future of the Treaty.
	The June European Council agreed that the forthcoming German Presidency will present a report to the European Council in June 2007 based on extensive consultations with member states, with decisions on how to continue the reform process to be taken by the end of 2008. There is no presumption as to the outcome or end-date of this process.

Extradition

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the United States Administration on ratification of reciprocal extradition arrangements.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any recent representations to the United States Administration about the ratification of the UK/US Extradition Treaty. However, staff from our Embassy in Washington have raised the matter with members of the Senate and Administration on numerous occasions in the last few months. The US Senate has now given its advice and consent to ratification of the Treaty.

Extradition

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations she has made to the government of the Republic of Ireland in relation to the ratification by the United States of reciprocal extradition arrangements with the UK.

Ian McCartney: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the Government of the Republic of Ireland in relation to the ratification of the UK/US Extradition Treaty. The US Senate has now given its advice and consent to ratification of the Treaty.

Forced Marriages

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what research she has conducted on whether there is a link between forced marriages and honour killings; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government acknowledge that domestic violence includes culturally specific forms of harm, which include forced marriage and 'honour' based or related violence, including murder in the name of honour.
	The Home Office Police Standards Unit (PSU) have been working closely with the Association of Chief Police Officers and the National Centre for Policing Excellence to raise the awareness of police officers and staff in relation to the identification and investigation of 'honour' related violence.
	The PSU has been promoting the use of a Risk Assessment toolkit for domestic violence incidents which includes the presence of factors in relation to so-called 'honour' crimes such as separation/ child contact, pregnancy, escalation, community awareness/isolation, stalking, and sexual offences. The PSU and the Metropolitan Police Service held an International Conference on Honour Related Violence on 21-22 March in London to examine the extent of 'honour' based violence and encourage the development of partnerships between agencies. It also looked at how to intervene to prevent harm to those at risk, consider education, and raise awareness of national guidance.
	The Metropolitan Police Homicide Prevention Unit has produced a report on the strategic scope of forced marriage, which examined reported incidents of forced marriage and related crimes, and aimed to support the work and analysis of the 'Murder in the Name of So-called Honour' Strategic Homicide Prevention Working Group. All police forces in England and Wales are developing honour-based violence action plans. The police services in England and Wales continue to conduct intelligence and analysis work on honour based violence (of which forced marriage is an aspect).

Forced Marriages

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what powers she has to declare forced marriages null and void; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government have made clear that forced marriage is an abuse of human rights and can, in certain circumstances, be a form of domestic violence or child abuse. Those forcing their children into marriage can be prosecuted for a range of criminal offences under the criminal law.
	The voluntary consent of both parties is necessary for a valid marriage. If someone is forced into marriage, the marriage is voidable under s.12 Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 on the grounds of lack of valid consent. Victims of forced marriage can submit a nullity petition to the court and obtain a decree of nullity.

Forced Marriages

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps she is taking to tackle forced marriages.

Kim Howells: The Government take forced marriage very seriously and carry out a range of activities to combat this abuse of human rights. Our dedicated Forced Marriage Unit (FMU) has a team of caseworkers who help around 300 people a year, both male and female, who are facing forced marriage in the United Kingdom and abroad. If a British national is forced into a marriage abroad, we offer them consular assistance, including help to return to the UK.
	The FMU also develops policy to combat forced marriage. It has produced guidance on dealing with forced marriage for police, education professionals and social services. In September 2005, the unit held a consultation on whether to make forced marriage a specific criminal offence. In response to the consultation, we are taking forward further activities, such as increasing training to professionals who work in this field, increasing the work we do with statutory agencies, making better use of civil remedies and the family courts and ensuring that existing legislation is fully implemented and contains no gaps.
	We also work hard to raise awareness of the problem of forced marriage. Staff from the FMU regularly attend events to train professionals around the country. The FMU ran a national publicity campaign from March to July 2006 to raise awareness of the problem of forced marriage and the help available. Further information is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website: www.fco.gov.uk/forcedmarriage.

Hungary

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Hungary.

Geoff Hoon: It is not the policy of the Government to comment on the domestic political affairs of another EU member state. Hungary is an important partner for the UK and we look forward to continuing to work together through the EU and NATO, as well as bilaterally.

International Arms Treaty

Eddie McGrady: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions have taken place in the EU Council of Ministers on securing an international arms treaty; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: In October 2005 the EU Foreign Ministers underlined their support for an international treaty to establish common standards for the global trade in conventional arms, and called for the start of a formal process at the United Nations at the earliest opportunity. This message was reiterated in a statement made on 2 October by the EU Presidency at the UN First Committee. The statement committed the EU to supporting the draft resolution currently at the First Committee as a good way of starting this process. The UK will continue to work with the EU and other international partners to secure the necessary support for the draft resolution, to start the formal process towards a treaty at the UN General Assembly.

International Criminal Court

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the current status of the trial of John Taylor is before the International Criminal Court.

Ian McCartney: Charles Taylor is currently awaiting trial before a specially convened trial chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone, which will sit in The Hague because of the unacceptably high security risks of holding and trying Taylor in Freetown. The Special Court has set a likely start date for the trial of 2 April 2007.

Iran

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the UK's latest assessment is of how close Iran is to developing nuclear weapons technology.

Kim Howells: Iran is defying calls by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors and the UN Security Council to suspend all uranium enrichment related and reprocessing activities. These activities would enable Iran to develop the capability to produce fissile material that could be used in nuclear weapons. Iran has produced very small quantities of enriched uranium at its pilot fuel enrichment plant at Natanz, and is continuing enrichment related work including the installation of additional centrifuges.
	We remain committed to a negotiated solution. We continue to urge Iran to take the steps required by the Security Council and IAEA Board, including a full suspension, and to return to talks on the basis of the proposals presented to Iran on 6 June by EU High Representative Javier Solana on behalf of the 'E3+3'. In Resolution 1696, adopted on 31 July, the Security Council expressed its intention to adopt appropriate measures under Article 41 of the UN Charter if Iran does not comply.

Iraq/Afghanistan

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of community-based media in Iraq; what her policy is on supporting and developing community-based media; and what monitoring of community-based media in Iraq is undertaken by her Department.

Kim Howells: The UK plays a leading role in helping Iraqis to develop the media and telecommunications sector. Iraq's media are flourishing and are supported by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for International Development (DFID) and the international community. We have helped to establish institutions such as the independent Iraqi National Communications and Media Commissionthe first independent converged communications regulator in the Arab worldand al-iraqiya, the Iraqi Public Broadcasting service. There are over 80 radio stations and 21 television stations broadcasting in Iraq. About 250 newspapers and periodicals are published. These outlets represent all shades of Iraqi opinion.
	DFID has supported training for Iraqi journalists, delivered by the Institute of War and Peace Reporting, and helped to develop independent media in the south of Iraq, through a 7.5 million programme run by the BBC World Service Trust. This programme funded the establishment of community-based radio and television in southern Iraq, which has established a strong reputation for fair, accurate reporting.
	The Government continue to offer advice and assistance for the development of national media and telecommunications policy.

Iraq/Afghanistan

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much funding the Government have allocated to the development of women's role in Iraqi society in each year since 2003, broken down by project.

Kim Howells: The UK is committed to the inclusion of women in all phases and at all levels in the reconstruction of Iraq and to ensure that they can participate in the political, civic and economic process of reconstruction. The following table shows the funding the Government have allocated to the development of women's role in Iraqi society in each financial year since 2003-04.
	In addition, Iraqi women have taken part in projects to develop specific professions, including training for lawyers, judges, government officials and forensic scientists. We aim to ensure that women are represented in all projects even if developing their role is not the principal objective. For example, the prison mentors employed to work with the Iraqi Correctional Service in south Iraq promote increases in the number of female Iraqi staff.
	
		
			  Financial year/Government Department  Projects  Cost () 
			  2003-04   
			 Department for International Department (DfID) Contribution to UNIFEM's work to mainstream gender equality policies in Iraq 500,000 
			 DfID Provision of two gender expert secondees to the Coalition Provisional Authority 80,000 
			
			  2004-05   
			 DfID Funding two women's organisations projects under CSF 712,000 
			 DfID Funding eight women's political participation projects under PPF 251,000 
			
			  2005-06   
			 DfID Funding six Constitutional advocacy projects under PPF 107,000 
			 DfID Funding five October 2005 referendum projects under PPF 175,000 
			 DfID Funding seven December 2006 election projects under PPF 212,000 
			 Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) Provision of training curricula on women's rights to the Ministry of Human Rights (1) 
			 FCO Seed-funding nine women's non-governmental organisations (NGOs) under HRSGF 21,305 
			 FCO Visit to UK by seven prominent Iraqi women to examine the role of women in forming government policy 10,625 
			 Total  2,068,930 
			 (1) Unable to provide exact cost because the women's curriculum was one of three provided to the Ministry of Human Rights. This was part of a 609,000 human rights training assistance package that also included a training needs assessment of the Ministry of Human Rights and other government departments and provision of equipment to establish the framework of the Human Rights Training Institute within the Ministry of Human Rights.  Notes:  1. CSFDFID's 5 million Civil Society Fund. This has been supporting the development of Iraqi civil society organisations eg women's organisations, trade unions, human rights groups, so that they are able to better represent ordinary Iraqis and hold the Government and local authorities to account.  2. PPFDFID's 7.5 million Political Participation Fund. This provides grants for grass-roots initiatives to encourage poor and marginalized people to make their voices heard. The PPF has funded projects to encourage wide engagement in the elections, constitution-drafting, and referendum, including projects targeting women, students, Marsh Arabs, and prisoners. 3. HRSGF-FCO's Human Rights Small Grants Fund. This provided seed-funding to 28 small Iraqi NGOs in order to build local civil society capacity.

Iraq/Afghanistan

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 627W, on Iraq, which areas her Department has identified in which it is possible to raise the awareness of the role of women in Iraqi society.

Kim Howells: We are raising awareness about the role of women in Iraqi society in a number of areas. These include influencing Iraqi parliamentarians and government officials in relation to passing legislation and forming government policies, developing public awareness and legal expertise in women's rights and supporting women's civil society organisations.

Iraq/Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the role is of the military officer working in the UN peacekeeping mission in Iraq.

Kim Howells: There are seven military officers working in the office of the UN Assistance Mission to Iraq. This is an assistance mission and not a peacekeeping mission. One of the officers is British. Their role is to advise the UN on military affairs, to enable the UN to operate more effectively in a hostile environment and to travel to areas that UN security rules prevent civilian staff from visiting. In particular, they advise the UN on how it should work with the Multi-National ForceIraq and which geographical areas and areas of work it should consider for future projects. They explain and advise on the military situation within Iraq and how this might effect the UN's mission. They are able to carry out scoping missions and report on the feasibility of potential tasks.

Iraq/Afghanistan

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with her UN counterparts about the appointment of an individual to co-ordinate aid, relief and security efforts in  (a) Iraq and  (b) Afghanistan; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions recently with UN counterparts about the appointment of an individual to co-ordinate aid, relief and security efforts in Iraq or Afghanistan. But the UK works closely with the UN Assistance Missions and the UN Special Representatives to both countries. In Iraq the UN, with the Iraqi government, is co-chairing preparations for an International Compact that will provide further co-ordination of international assistance to that country. In Afghanistan, the UN Special Representative of the Secretary General co-chairs the Joint Co-ordination and Monitoring Board that helps improve the delivery of international assistance there in line with the Afghanistan Compact and the Afghan National Development Strategy.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make representations to the United States Administration to request that the sale of arms to the State of Israel approved by the US Congress in 2005 is brought forward; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: US arms sales are a matter for the US government.
	Regarding the UK's policy on arms sales to Israel, as with all countries, all export licence applications from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application.

Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make it Government policy to sell arms to the State of Israel to fight  (a) Hezbollah terrorists and  (b) other terrorism; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: With regard to Israel, as to all others countries, we will continue to assess rigorously all relevant export licence applications on a case by case basis against our EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application and other announced Government policies. A licence will not be issued where to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria. The Government are proud of the UK's robust and transparent export licensing regime, which is among the best in the world.

Israel

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her latest assessment is of the threat to Israel of Qassam rockets being fired from the Gaza Strip.

Kim Howells: All violence in Israel and the Occupied Territories acts as an obstacle to peace. We condemn the launching of Qassam rockets by Palestinian militant groups into Israel. Between 30 September and 2 October we have reports that five rockets were fired into Israel. We have called on the Palestinian Authority to prevent all terrorist attacks, including these rocket attacks, and to work towards the release of captured Israeli soldier Corporal Shalit. We welcome the work Palestinian President Abbas is doing to achieve this. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the issue of Qassam rockets with President Abbas on 10 September.

Israel

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will impose an arms embargo on Israel.

Kim Howells: We have no plans to impose an arms embargo on Israel. We continue to assess all export licence applications rigorously, on a case by case basis, against our consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application and other Government policies. The UK's robust and transparent licensing regime for its strategic exports will continue to work effectively for Israel as it does for all countries.

Israel

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1280W, on Israel, in what way the prevailing circumstances have varied over the last nine years; and what alterations there have been in the policy of granting export licences during that time.

Kim Howells: Throughout the last nine years, the Government have been committed to finding a just, lasting and peaceful resolution of the Middle East conflict. The period has been one of flux alternating between violence and negotiations. Throughout the period, the Government have consistently applied our policy on granting export licences to Israel. Since 1997, we have taken a range of measures designed to ensure the highest standards of responsibility in our export control policies, which includes exports of equipment to Israel. These include the adoption of the EU code of conduct on Arms Exports in 1998. Since 2000, all applications from the UK have been rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application. This includes specific criteria whereby we will not issue a licence where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression, might aggravate existing tensions or conflict in the country of final destination or that the export may be used aggressively against another country. Our Embassies monitor the situation in this region, including how this might affect export licence applications. Details of all export licences approved to Israel are available in the Quarterly and Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls submitted to Parliament and are subject to detailed retrospective scrutiny by the Quadripartite Committee on Strategic Export Controls. The quarterly and annual reports are available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at: http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid=l119522594750.

Israel

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information she received from the Israeli Government in advance of its response to Hezbollah's kidnapping of two Israeli soldiers on 12 July 2006, with particular reference to the bombing of Beirut International Airport.

Kim Howells: The UK had no foreknowledge of any specific military actions by Israel in response to the kidnappings.

Israel

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the UK Government has made representations within the last three months to the Israeli Government regarding the effect on the community of Jayyous of the erection of the West Bank barrier.

Kim Howells: We have made no representations to the Israeli Government about the effect of the barrier on the community of the Jayyous in the last three months. We continue to have serious concerns about Israel's appropriation of Palestinian land to build a barrier in the Occupied Territories. Israel has legitimate security concerns and we understand the need to protect Israeli citizens from terrorist attacks. We have no objection to the construction of a barrier, provided it is built on Israeli territory. But constructing the barrier on occupied territory contravenes international law. Sections of the current route, where it strays from the Green Line into the West Bank, are therefore illegal. We regularly raise our concerns about the barrier with the Government of Israel.

Ivory Coast

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the progress with the  (a) identity scheme and  (b) voter registration drives being introduced in Cte d'Ivoire; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Progress on voter registration and identification, as well as the disarmament of militias, has been slow, with periods of complete deadlock. Consequently, it has been necessary to postpone presidential elections for the second time. The UN, the Economic Community of West African States and the African Union are currently considering how the peace process should proceed, since the UN Security Council Resolution mandating the peace plan expires at the end of October. The Government are in discussion with all these bodies and with the Government of France. The Government continues to urge all the Ivorian parties to deliver on their commitments. We will continue to support targeted sanctions against those who frustrate the process.

Ivory Coast

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of  (a) the activities of the Young Patriots movement in Cote d'Ivoire and  (b) their impact on the stability and re-construction of Cote d'Ivoire; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Young Patriots have been central in the orchestration of often violent protests in Ivory Coast. They have played a largely destructive role in the ongoing peace process and continue to threaten the long-term peace and stability of Ivory Coast. For these reasons, their leader, Charles Ble Goude, is subject to targeted UN sanctions, travel ban and asset freeze, as provided for under UN Security Council Resolution 1572.
	Due to a lack of progress in the voter registration and disarmament programmes, it has regrettably become necessary to postpone presidential elections for the second time. The Government continue to support the peace process and urges all the Ivorian parties to it, including the Young Patriots, to deliver on their commitment. We will continue to support targeted sanctions against those who frustrate the process.

Japan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to the Japanese government to encourage it to promote human rights amongst its trading partners.

Ian McCartney: Tackling human rights abuses is one of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's most important areas of work, and one on which I personally place a lot of emphasis. Japan is an important partner on human rights. Like the UK, Japan is a member of the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC) and we co-operate with them on a range of human rights issues. I discussed international human rights issues, including Burma, at the UNHRC in June 2006 with former Japanese Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Akiko Yamanaka.
	The UK continues strongly to support Japanese concerns on the human rights situation in North Korea, including working closely with Japan to try to achieve a satisfactory solution to the abductee issue. During my recent visit to Japan in July this year I met representatives of families whose relatives had been abducted by North Korea.
	Officials in our Embassy in Tokyo also regularly discuss human rights with their Japanese counterparts.

Jordan

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) she has,  (b) members of her Department have and  (c) UK representatives in Jordan have had with (i) members and representatives of the Jordanian government and (ii) officials of the UN High Commission for Refugees concerning Iranian Kurds in (A) the no-man's land at the Iraq-Jordanian border and (B) the Kawa settlement in northern Iraq; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, officials at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and from our Embassy in Amman have had no such discussions.

Korea

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of  (a) the recent flooding,  (b) the cessation of food aid from the Republic of Korea on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea; and what representations she has made to the United Nations on this situation.

Ian McCartney: Estimates vary between as few as 151 dead and as many as 54,700, but the very nature of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) makes it very difficult to make reliable assessments. It is believed that around 100,000 tonnes of food were destroyed by the floods. The Government of the Republic of Korea has agreed to supply this amount in aid.
	The food problems of the DPRK arise not only from the decision by the Government of the Republic of Korea to suspend non-emergency food aid, but from lower domestic food production and from lower grain shipments from China. The World Food Programme has estimated that these factors together may cause a food deficit in the DPRK in 2006 of around 800,000 tonnes.
	Whilst my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not made any representations to the UN, she discussed the matter with Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki Moon when they met in June this year. On that occasion, she urged the Republic of Korea not to withdraw humanitarian assistance to the DPRK should they carry out their threat to test missiles, stressing her preference for a co-ordinated international response.

Lebanon

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations have been made to the Lebanese Government to disarm militias in Lebanon in accordance with UN Resolution 1559.

Kim Howells: There is regular and close contact between the UK and the Government of Lebanon, including discussions about the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militias in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1559. The subject was discussed when my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Fuad Siniora, on 9 May this year. The UK supports full implementation of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559 and UNSCR 1701, including the disarmament of Hezbollah and other militias, and the efforts of the Lebanese Government to assert its sovereignty and authority throughout its territories.

Lebanon

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the prospects for a sustainable ceasefire in Lebanon; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: The Government worked hard to secure UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701, adopted unanimously by the Security Council on 11 August 2006, which was aimed at securing the conditions for a sustainable, durable ceasefire that would prevent a return to the status quo ante. As a result of UNSCR 1701, that ceasefire has largely held and we are now focused on humanitarian and reconstruction efforts, and enhancing the Government of Lebanon's ability to take full control of its territory, a requirement of both UNSCRs 1559 and 1701.
	Urgent work has been undertaken to strengthen the UN Force in Lebanon, in order to carry out the range of important new tasks set out in UNSCR 1701. We have also been working hard with key partners to re-energise the Middle East Peace Process, an issue of vital importance to the region and wider world. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister visited Lebanon, the first ever visit by a British Prime Minister, Israel and the Occupied Territories from 9-11 September and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary visited Egypt from 7-9 September.

Lebanon

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much has been provided by the UK to the UN Interim Force In Lebanon in each year since 1978.

Kim Howells: The following table gives an indication of our contribution to the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) in each year since 1978. Details of the provenance of these figures can be found as follows.
	
		
			   Approximate UK contribution () 
			 1978 4,540,000 
			 1979 2,910,000 
			 1980 2,960,000 
			 1981 4,600,000 
			 1982 6,060,000 
			 1983 6,200,000 
			 1984 6,360,000 
			 1985 6,390,000 
			 1986 6,230,000 
			 1987 5,060,000 
			 1988 5,130,000 
			 1989 5,380,000 
			 1990 5,210,000 
			 1991 5,500,000 
			 1992 6,630,000 
			 1993 6,320,000 
			 1994 5,660,000 
			 1995 5,430,000 
			 1996 4,340,000 
			 1997 4,670,000 
			 1998 6,730,000 
			 1999 5,150,000 
			 2000 5,510,000 
			 2001 2,640,000 
			 2002 2,640,000 
			 2003 3,670,000 
			 2004 890,000 
			 2005 3,460,000 
		
	
	Figures are based on the UK financial year beginning in the year listed, except for the years 1992-95 (inclusive) which are based on the calendar year.
	The figures for 1978-81 are taken from the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices (FCO) Supply Estimates documents from 1979-84. These documents give estimates for expenditure in the coming financial year and give the outturn for the previous financial year.
	For the period 1982-91 the FCO did not break down its contributions to the UN system in its Supply Estimates/Departmental reports as it did in other years. These figures were therefore calculated from the UN agreed budget for UNIFIL for that UK financial year using the contemporary rate of assessment. The dollar figures were converted to sterling using the average exchange rate for the financial year in question.
	For the period 1992-2002 the figures are taken from the FCO Departmental Report. For 1992-95 the FCO listed its contributions to the UN system in its Departmental Reports in calendar years but thereafter they are listed in UK financial years.
	The figures for 2003-05 are the expenditure figures taken from the internal end of year reports for the appropriate period, which contain the final spend for those years.
	Between 1978 and 2004 an excess of funds accumulated in the UN's UNIFIL bank account. The UN decided to off-set this surplus against member states contributions in financial year 2004-05, which explains the substantial difference between our contribution in 2004 and other years.

Lebanon

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the effectiveness of the funding provided by the UK to the UN Interim Force In Lebanon since (a) 1978 and (b) since the Israeli withdrawal from Lebanon in 2000.

Kim Howells: The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) was established in 1978 under UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 426, with the aim of confirming the withdrawal of Israeli forces, restoring international peace and security and assisting the Government of Lebanon in ensuring the return of its effective authority in the area. From 1978 to 2000 UNIFIL helped reduce confrontation between armed groups in south Lebanon and helped to protect the civilian population. It was not until 2000, when Israel withdrew its forces behind a UN demarcated Blue Line, that UNIFIL had the opportunity to implement its mandate of confirming Israeli withdrawal.
	After 2000 UNIFIL continued to play a valuable role in limiting confrontation between Israel and Hizbollah by monitoring violations of the Blue Line and reporting them to the Security Council. Since 2000 there have been occasional exchanges of fire over the border.
	However, under its previous mandate and with a limited troop deployment, UNIFIL was unable to assist the Government of Lebanon in taking full control of its territory. For this reason, UNSCR 1701 provided for an enhanced UNIFIL mission under strengthened Rules of Engagement aimed at extending the Government of Lebanon's control over the whole of the country. The UK continues to believe that UNIFIL plays an integral role in Lebanon and that there is a strong case for funding its operation.
	The UK is committed to paying its obligatory assessed costs to all UN peacekeeping operations, including UNIFIL, and regularly argues within the context of the Security Council and the General Assembly for effective and efficient peacekeeping missions.

Lebanon

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what support she has provided to the UN Interim Force In Lebanon forces other than financial support through the UN.

Kim Howells: As well as paying our share of the costs of the UN operation, the UK has sent HMS York to participate in the Interim Maritime Force until the German-led United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) Maritime Force can assume these duties. We are also considering providing two E3 AWACS and six Jaguar aircraft if needed. And we are willing to respond positively to requests to use our Sovereign Base Areas on Cyprus. Due to our current operational commitments elsewhere, the UK will not be able to provide ground troops to UNIFIL.

Lebanon

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what rules of engagement UNIFIL forces in Lebanon have; and what role UNIFIL forces have played in the current situation.

Kim Howells: The Rules of Engagement of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) are drawn up by the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations and are a UN classified document. They were revised following the adoption on 11 August of UN Security Council Resolution 1701 to reflect the altered mandate given by the Security Council to UNIFIL.
	The role played by UNIFIL is set out in resolution 1701, which provides for the force to:
	monitor the cessation of hostilities;
	accompany and support the Lebanese armed forces as they deploy throughout the South, including along the Blue Line, as Israel withdraws its armed forces from Lebanon, and to co-ordinate these activities with the Governments of Lebanon and Israel;
	extend its assistance to help ensure humanitarian access to civilian populations and the voluntary and safe return of displaced persons;
	assist the Lebanese armed forces in taking steps towards the establishment of an area between the Blue Line and the Litani river free of any armed personnel, assetsand weapons other than those of the Government of Lebanon and of UNIFIL;
	assist the Government of Lebanon, at its request, to secure its borders and other entry points to prevent the entry in to Lebanon without its consent of arms or related material.
	The activities of UNIFIL in the current situation include tasks across the range of mandated activities and are described in detail in the reports of the UN Secretary-General on the implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. These are available on the UN website at: http://www.un.org/Docs/sc/sgrep06.htm.

Lebanon

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on UK policy on the disarming of Hezbollah.

Kim Howells: The UK played a leading role in the passage of UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559, which called for the disarmament of all armed groups in Lebanon. This call was further reinforced in UNSCR 1680 and again by Resolution 1701. The UK is now working with our international partners to implement these resolutions, in particular by strengthening the ability of the democratically elected Lebanese government to exercise control throughout Lebanon and ensuring that militias, supported and supplied from outside Lebanon, can never again plunge the region into crisis.

Lebanon

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps her Department is taking to enforce United Nations Security Resolution 1559.

Kim Howells: The UK played a leading role in passing UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1559 in September 2004. This called for withdrawal of all foreign forces from Lebanon, and supported the extension of the control of the Government of Lebanon over all Lebanese territory. Since Syrian troops withdrew in April 2005, we have been giving practical assistance to the Lebanese Government to help it assert its authority over its territory. This has included sending UK experts to advise on security sector reform, training courses for the Lebanese security forces and a visit by a UK military team to review equipment requirements for the Lebanese armed forces in its role following Syrian withdrawal.
	We continue to support the Government of Lebanon in implementing all UN Resolutions, including UNSCR 1701, which is aimed at creating a Lebanon which is genuinely sovereign and democratic and in which the Government controls the whole of its territory. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's recent visit to Lebanon underlined the UK's continuing commitment.

Middle East

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will call for a ceasefire in the Middle East; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah have been the subject of intense diplomatic activity in which my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and I were all heavily engaged. On 10 August my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary flew to New York to work with international partners towards resolution of the outstanding difficulties. On 11 August the UN Security Council was able unanimously to adopt its Resolution 1701, which aims to secure the conditions for sustainable, durable ceasefire that would prevent a return to the conflict and the status quo that preceded it.
	The UK worked hard to secure UN Security Council Resolution 1701. The cessation of hostilities thereby established has largely held. UK effort has since been focused on ensuring the ceasefire holds and a long term solution is developed. This includes assistance with the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the Lebanese people, as well as enhancing the ability of the Government of Lebanon to take and maintain full control of its territory.

Middle East

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions her Department has had with  (a) Egypt,  (b) Jordan and  (c) Saudi Arabia on the situation in Gaza and Lebanon.

Kim Howells: Ministers and senior officials have had regular dialogue with Egypt, Jordan and Saudi Arabia on the situation in the Middle East. During my visit to Jordan in July, I discussed the situation with the Regent His Royal Highness Prince Feisal, and Prime Minister Bakhit. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary discussed the issues with Egyptian President Mubarak and Foreign Minister Aboul Gheit during her visit to Egypt in September, and my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister spoke with King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia in September. We also took advantage of ministerial week at the UN General Assembly in September to discuss the issues with regional and other partners.

Middle East

Barbara Keeley: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the relationship between Hezbollah and  (a) Hamas,  (b) Islamic Jihad and  (c) the Al Aqsa Martyrs brigade.

Kim Howells: While Hezbollah is a Shia movement with a separate political and national agenda from Hamas and Al Aqsa Martyrs brigade, all these groups share a common hostility towards Israel and we believe there may be links between them. There have been reports that Hezbollah has provided individuals from militant groups in the West Bank with finance.

Middle East

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of the actions taken by Iran and Syria to support, fund and arm terrorist groups operating against Israel on regional stability and security.

Kim Howells: We are very concerned about the role of Syria and Iran. Through their support for Hezbollah, Iran and Syria encourage extremism, threaten the stability of the region and put peace in the Middle East further out of reach. We have called on Syria and Iran to stop their support for Hezbollah and end their interference in Lebanese internal affairs, in accordance with UN Security Council Resolutions 1559 and 1680.
	As we said in the UN Security Council on 21 July,
	Hezbollah does not act alone. As other speakers have said, behind it, lending support and giving direction, are Syria and Iran. Syria provides material support to Hezbollah and facilitates the transfer of weapons, including thousands of missiles, which appear to be supplied by Iran to Hezbollah. Ultimately, long-term stability will be possible only if Syria and Iran end their interference in Lebanese internal affairs, in accordance with resolutions 1559 (2004) and 1680 (2006).

Middle East

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK are taking with the United Nations to bring about a cessation of violence in the Middle East.

Kim Howells: Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah were the subject of intense diplomatic activity in which my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and I were all heavily engaged. On 10 August, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary flew to New York to work with international partners towards resolution of the outstanding difficulties. On 11 August the UN Security Council was able unanimously to adopt its resolution 1701, which aims to secure the conditions for sustainable, durable ceasefire that would prevent a return to the conflict and the status quo that preceded it.
	The UK worked hard to secure UN Security Council resolution 1701. The cessation of hostilities thereby established has largely held. UK effort has since been focused on ensuring the ceasefire holds and a long-term solution is developed. This includes assistance with the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the Lebanese people, as well as enhancing the ability of the Government of Lebanon to take and maintain full control of its territory.

Middle East

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the impact of actions taken by Iran and Syria in relation to terrorist groups operating against Israel on regional stability and security.

Kim Howells: I refer my hon. Friend to the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Hendon (Mr Dismore) today (UIN 89956).

Middle East

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the threat posed to regional stability by Hezbollah's attacks against Israel; and what measures are available to the international community to enforce resolution 1559 and disarm all Lebanese militia.

Kim Howells: Hezbollah and its backers, Syria and Iran, pose a very significant threat to the stability of the Middle East. Syria's and Iran's support for Hezbollah and its attacks on Israel encourage extremism and put peace in the Middle East further out of reach.
	We urge the international community to continue to support the Government of Lebanon in implementing all UN Security Council Resolutions (UNSCRs), including 1559, 1680 and 1701, which are aimed at disarming Hezbollah, creating a Lebanon which is genuinely sovereign and democratic and in which the government controls the whole of its territory. The international community should continue to call on Syria and Iran to stop their support for Hezbollah and end their interference in Lebanese internal affairs in accordance with UNSCRs 1559, 1680 and 1701.

Middle East

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the UK is taking together with the United Nations to bring a cessation of violence in the Middle East and to implement an international peace keeping force to ensure the safety of Israel's northern border.

Kim Howells: Hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah were the subject of intense diplomatic activity in which my right hon. Friends the Prime Minister and the Foreign Secretary and I were all heavily engaged. On 10 August my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary flew to New York to work with international partners towards resolution of the outstanding difficulties. On 11 August the UN Security Council was able unanimously to adopt its Resolution 1701, which aims to secure the conditions for sustainable, durable ceasefire that would prevent a return to the conflict and the status quo that preceded it.
	The UK worked hard to secure UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1701. The cessation of hostilities thereby established has largely held. UK effort has since been focused on ensuring the ceasefire holds and a long term solution is developed. This includes assistance with the humanitarian and reconstruction needs of the Lebanese people, as well as enhancing the ability of the Government of Lebanon to take and maintain full control of its territory.
	Urgent work has been undertaken to strengthen the UN Force in Lebanon in order to carry out the range of important new tasks set out in UNSCR 1701. Due to our current operational commitments elsewhere, we will not be able to provide ground troops. But the UK has sent HMS York to participate in the Interim Maritime Force and we would consider providing, in addition, two E3 AWACS and six Jaguar aircraft if needed. We are willing to respond positively to requests to use our Sovereign Base areas on Cyprus. We are also paying our share of the costs of the UN operation, on which we pay a premium as a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Ministerial Duties (Background Reading)

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what publications have been provided by her civil servants as background reading for her ministerial duties since taking office; and if she will make a statement.

Margaret Beckett: On taking up my current Ministerial post I received a pack with background material on the policy areas of the Department. I continue to receive reading material on all policy areas as appropriate.

Ministerial Visits (Accommodation)

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 3 July 2006,  Official Report, column 840W, on ministerial visits (accommodation), how she ensures that the  (a) number of overnight stays,  (b) standard of hotel and  (c) cost of overnight stays for (i) civil servants, (ii) special advisers and (iii) Ministers complies with the guidelines for her Department's staff.

Geoff Hoon: For official travel overseas the local British diplomatic mission usually books and pays for hotel rooms. The mission's accounts are subject to scrutiny by the independent audit staff of the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). Where individual travellers book their own hotel rooms and then submit claims with receipts for reimbursement, they sign to acknowledge that, if they submit an account with intent to mislead or defraud, they are liable to disciplinary action and/or prosecution. In addition, we check each claim totalling 100 or more against the FCO's guidelines to ensure compliance.

NATO

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representatives from the UK will be sent to the 2006 North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Summit in Riga, Latvia.

Geoff Hoon: My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister will represent the UK at the 2006 NATO Summit in Riga, Latvia. Other Ministers and Government officials will support him, but the exact make up of the Delegation is yet to be confirmed. The composition will depend on the agenda for the summit, which is still being negotiated.

Nepal

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the progress being made in negotiations between the Prime Minister of Nepal and Maoist rebels; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: Some progress has been made towards peace since the formation of the seven party government, and the reinstatement of Parliament, in April 2006. But the peace process remains fragile.
	In August 2006 the Government of Nepal and the Maoists each requested UN assistance in support of the peace process, including management of arms. In response, the UN Secretary-General appointed Ian Martin as his personal representative for Nepal in August 2006. The UK supports a role for the UN, and has allocated approximately 3.4 Million from the Global Conflict Prevention Pool to assist the peace process through projects supporting ceasefire monitoring, the UN, and preparing for a Constituent Assembly.
	Peace negotiations have made some progress. But the issue of arms management has yet to be resolved. The Maoists have yet to show they are serious about making the transition to a democratic party and have called for protests against the government.
	During my visit to Nepal from 26-28 September 2006, I expressed my support to the Government of Nepal and urged the Prime Minister to make good use of the UN's expertise. I made clear to the Government of Nepal that we cannot support a Maoist party in government unless they make a concrete demonstration of their democratic credentials and commit to laying down their weapons. I urged both sides to work to build mutual confidence in advance of the next round of summit talks scheduled for 8 October 2006.

Niger

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the implications of the imprisonment of Maman Abou and Omar Keita Lalo for human rights observance in Niger; and what representations she has made to promote freedom of speech in that country.

Ian McCartney: We are aware of the imprisonment of Mr. Abou and Mr. Lalo following their conviction for defamation of the Nigerien Prime Minister. EU Heads of Mission have raised their concerns over this action with the Nigerien government and have urged the repeal of the 'Offence by the Press' Law under which Mr. Abou and Mr. Lalo were convicted, and which is disproportionate in its response to defamation. The UK will continue to monitor the case with our EU colleagues, and make further representations as necessary.
	Freedom of expression is fundamental to a functioning democracy. The UK urges appropriate, and proportionate, alterations to criminal defamation laws in Niger.

Nigeria

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what evidence she has received on the practice of religious cleansing by Muslim extremists in Northern and Central Nigeria; what recent representations she has made to the federal government on such religious cleansing; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Conflict and tension between religious communities in Nigeria is a serious issue. However, we have not received any evidence of religious cleansing. Nigeria is a diverse, federal state and conflicts continue to occur over many issues. The root causes of conflict in northern and central Nigeria include socio-economic and political factors, as well as religious issues. We continue to engage on the importance of religious tolerance with the Nigeria Government and take up specific allegations of religious conflict where they are credible and verified.

Nigeria

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the government of Nigeria on  (a) attacks on churches and  (b) the role of the Federal Capital Development Authority.

Ian McCartney: We have not held recent discussions with the Government of Nigeria on attacks on churches. However, we take every opportunity to raise concerns about religious conflict and human rights generally in Nigeria with the federal and state authorities and senior leaders from all faiths in that country. Nigeria is a diverse, federal state and conflicts can occur over many issues. The root causes include socio-economic and political as well as religious factors. We continue to engage the Nigerian Government on the importance of religious tolerance and take up specific allegations of religious conflict where they are credible and verified. We also support initiatives to build trust between Nigeria's religious communities.
	Officials from the our high commission in Abuja regularly meet with Nasir El Rufai, Minister for the Federal Capital Territory, who oversees the Federal Capital Development Authority. My noble Friend the Leader of the House of Lords, Baroness Amos, also met the Minister during an official visit to Abuja on 1 August.

Palestine

Andrew Dismore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the situation in Gaza; and what representations the Government have made to the Palestinian President to encourage the release of captured soldier Corporal Gilad Shalit and a cessation of Quassam rocket fire out of the strip.

Kim Howells: We remain concerned about the continuing Qassam rocket fire from Gaza on Israeli civilian targets. We have called on the Palestinian Authority to prevent all terrorist attacks, including these rocket attacks, and to work towards the release of captured Israeli soldier Corporal Shalit. We welcome the work Palestinian President Abbas is doing to achieve this. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister discussed the issue of Qassam rockets with President Abbas on 10 September.
	We are extremely concerned by violent clashes in Gaza, and the high number of casualties. All violence is an obstacle to peace in the region. We support President Abbas' call for an end to the violence, withdrawal of militias from the streets and the restoration of order by legally constituted security forces using appropriate force.

Palestine

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her latest assessment is of the willingness of Hamas to move towards meeting the conditions of the international community for donor funding.

Kim Howells: We remain deeply concerned that neither the Hamas-led Palestinian Authority, nor Hamas as a movement, have committed to the Quartet's (EU, US, UN and Russia) three principles: to renounce violence, recognise Israel and accept all previous agreements and obligations.
	As my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister made clear during his visit to the region on 9-11 September, we would be ready to re-engage with a Palestinian Government, if it is based on the Quartet principles.

Palestine

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her latest assessment is of the willingness of Hamas to move towards meeting the conditions of the international community for donor funding.

Kim Howells: I refer my right hon. Friend to the answer I gave to my hon. Friend the member for West Lancashire (Rosie Cooper) today (UIN 90006).

Passports

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British passport holders, including dual nationality passport holders, she estimates live abroad, broken down by country.

Kim Howells: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Clegg) on 15 June 2006,  Official Report, columns 1373-75W of British passport holders living overseas, broken down by country. I also refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Kettering (Mr. Hollobone) on 22 March 2006,  Official Report, columns 419-20W.

Romania

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many UK visitor visas were issued to people from Romania in each month since 2001.

Kim Howells: The number of visit visas issued to Romanian Nationals in each month since 2001 are in the following tables.
	
		
			  Visit visas issued (excludes family visits) 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 April 1,572 1,593 1,440 1,424 1,982 1,992 
			 May 1,937 1,517 1,944 1,724 2,097 2,799 
			 June 2,444 2,110 2,403 2,595 3,653 3,964 
			 July 3,077 2,457 3,064 2,661 2,142 3,114 
			 August 1,783 1,237 1,729 2,077 1,700 2,302 
			 September 1,256 1,229 1,908 1,689 2,056 1,907 
			 October 1,564 1,708 1,915 1,755 1,989  
			 November 1,522 1,542 2,072 2,051 2,294  
			 December 937 1,187 1,178 1,279 1,381  
			 January 1,034 1,190 1,193 1,355 1,574  
			 February 1,265 1,172 1,320 1,522 1,671  
			 March 1,202 1,554 1,804 1,845 2,393  
			 Total 19,593 18,496 21,970 21,977 24,932 16,078 
		
	
	
		
			  Family visit visas issued 
			   2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 April 0 3 19 15 96 197 
			 May 0 50 31 16 95 274 
			 June 0 132 28 17 247 323 
			 July 0 125 58 18 300 376 
			 August 0 77 44 9 247 288 
			 September 0 24 27 11 179 183 
			 October 0 41 18 50 220  
			 November 0 101 28 108 414  
			 December 0 45 25 77 342  
			 January 1 27 19 49 143  
			 February 1 36 36 49 205  
			 March 4 30 64 123 283  
			 Total 6 691 397 542 2,771 1,641 
			  Source:  Central Referencing System UKvisas makes every effort to ensure that statistics produced from Central Referencing System are accurate. However, the complexity of our global business, including technical failures or occasional inconsistencies in data entry across over 150 offices means that we cannot 100% guarantee accuracy.

Russia

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the  (a) security,  (b) political stability and  (c) human rights situation in Chechnya; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: We regularly monitor the situation in Chechnya and the wider North Caucasus. Recent years have seen a gradual improvement in the security situation in Chechnya, resulting in the UN downgrading its security classification for Chechnya from Phase 5 to Phase 4 in August. Russian and local security forces have had some success in improving security recently. The death of Shamil Basayev has been followed by an amnesty under which over 200 fighters are reported to have turned themselves in, creating the opportunity for a process of reconciliation that could underpin long-term security.
	Following the elections to the Chechen parliament in November 2005, the Chechen Republic now has fully constituted structures of government. We believe that the best guarantee for political stability in Chechnya is for the Russian and local Chechen authorities to work together to strengthen these new institutions, improving their democratic accountability.
	The human rights situation in the republic is still deeply troubling and we regularly raise these issues with the Russian government. There are ongoing reports of torture, extrajudicial killing and abductions in Chechnya, which Chechen President Alu Alkhanov has acknowledged are a terrible crime. We believe that security measures which do not respect international human rights law are counter-productive, and that a long-term solution to the region's problems is only possible once an end has been put to human rights abuses.

Saudi Arabia

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many personnel are monitoring the end-use of British arms exports to Saudi Arabia; and what resources have been allocated for this work.

Kim Howells: All export licence applications from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application. This is carried out by dedicated export licensing teams in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Department for Trade and Industry, the Ministry of Defence and the Department for International Development.
	In common with all of our diplomatic posts, our Embassy in Riyadh monitors local developments closely and notes any information which comes to light that military equipment supplied by the UK has been used in a manner inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria. The Government will take this into consideration when assessing any future export licence applications. The Government may also revoke relevant licence(s) and ask the authorities in the country concerned to investigate.

Secondments

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what departmental procedures are in place to encourage staff to apply for secondments to the  (a) United Nations and  (b) World Bank; and how many (i) applicants and (ii) successful applicants have been women in the last three years.

Kim Howells: There are no formal departmental procedures for Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) staff to apply for secondments to the UN. Individuals are encouraged to identify opportunities for secondments outside the FCO. We also actively look for opportunities across the UN system, working with our UN posts, and advertise any secondment opportunities to staff in line with normal internal FCO recruitment procedures. We do not maintain statistics on applicants but adhering to the FCO's equal opportunities policy, secondment opportunities are open to all staff.
	We are not aware of any FCO staff currently on secondment to the World Bank. The Department for International Development are the lead Whitehall Department on the World Bank and have seconded a number of officials to the organisation.

Shanghai Expo (British Pavilion)

Paul Holmes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what criteria her Department is using to determine the design and contents of the British pavilion at the 2010 Better City Better Life Expo in Shanghai.

Ian McCartney: In August my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister accepted the Chinese invitation for the UK to participate in Shanghai Expo 2010. This is a fantastic opportunity to broaden and deepen the United Kingdom's relations with China. The theme of Expo 2010'Better City Better Life'is one where the UK has much expertise and experience. Expo 2010 will provide the perfect opportunity to highlight British creativity, diversity and innovation and our contribution to dealing with global challenges such as sustainable development, including climate change. These are challenges that the UK and China have already agreed we need to tackle together.
	It is intended that the UK facilities at Shanghai will be jointly funded by the public and private sectors; a model successfully used for the Aichi World Expo in 2005. Once stakeholders have committed funding, a steering committee will be formed to agree the detailed design and content of the UK pavilion. An open competition for the design, build and operation of the pavilion, will be decided by public tender in the course of 2007.

Singapore

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on democracy in Singapore.

Ian McCartney: Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system of government. The Head of State is the President, currently Mr S R Nathan. General elections are held every five years and presidential elections every six years. The People's Action Party have won every general election since 1959 and currently hold 82 of the 84 elected seats in Parliament. The Workers' Party and the Singapore Democratic Alliance hold the other two elected seats. There is a further opposition MP in Parliament from the Workers' Party who was selected as a non-constituency MP (NCMP), as provided for by Singapore law. The Prime Minister of Singapore, currently Mr Lee Hsien Loong, is appointed by the President as the leader of the majority party in Parliament. All other Ministers are also MPs.
	The Singapore legal system is similar to the English common law system. A written constitution provides for the separation of the three organs of state (executive, legislative and judiciary) and is the supreme law of Singapore. It also provides for the independence of the Supreme Court judges and enshrines the fundamental rights of the individual. The constitution provides for freedom of speech and freedom of the press but it also permits restrictions on these rights.

Somalia

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with her  (a) UN Security Council counterparts and  (b) EU counterparts about future peacekeeping operations in Somalia.

Ian McCartney: My noble Friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, Lord Triesman of Tottenham, discussed a possible peace-support mission in Somalia with a number of international interlocutors during the UN General Assembly in New York in September. The UN Security Council is considering the Intergovernmental Authority on Development's request for an exemption to the UN arms embargo to permit a regional deployment to support the Transitional Federal Institutions in Somalia, including whether/how a peace-support mission would contribute to peace and stability there. The UK is also a member of the International Contact Group on Somalia (comprising the EU, Italy, Norway, Sweden, Tanzania and the US, together with the UN, African Union and League of Arab States) which meets periodically, most recently in August 2006.

Special Envoys

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs pursuant to the answer of 19 June 2006,  Official Report, column 1615W, on special envoys, what remuneration has been paid to Baroness Symons for this function since her appointment.

Kim Howells: My noble Friend right hon. Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean was not remunerated in her role in the Two Kingdoms Dialogue. She was paid 6,000 for the work she undertook as my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister's Special Representative for Memoranda of Understanding for deportation of terrorist suspects.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Norwegian government about the peace process in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: We fully support the efforts of the Norwegian government in their role as facilitators of the peace process in Sri Lanka. We met the Norwegian Special Envoy, Jon Hanssen-Bauer, in August at senior official level, and have spoken a number of times since. We remain in close contact with the Norwegian government on the peace process.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the government of Sri Lanka about refugees who have fled from the Trincomalee area.

Kim Howells: The UK, EU and international partners have strongly pressed the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to guarantee free access for relief agencies and humanitarian aid to those people and areas affected. Most recently on 12 September, my right hon. Friend the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, Stephen Timms, during a visit to Sri Lanka, raised UK concerns on human rights and humanitarian issues with President Rajapake. The Department for International Development last month made a contribution of over half a million pounds (one million US Dollars) in additional funds to the UN and Red Cross to help Sri Lankans displaced by recent violence; this would include those who have fled from the Trincomalee area.

Sri Lanka

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the President of Sri Lanka on implementation of the ceasefire agreement.

Kim Howells: Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Rajapakse, and Foreign Minister Samaraweera, at Chequers on 31 August. The talks focused on the internal security situation in Sri Lanka and the state of the peace process.

Sri Lanka

Joan Ruddock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what controls are in place on the export of arms to Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: All applications from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application. This process includes specific criteria whereby we will not issue a licence where there is a clear risk that the proposed export might be used for internal repression, might aggravate existing tensions or conflict in the country of final destination or that the export may be used aggressively against another country. Details of all export licences approved to Sri Lanka are available in the Quarterly and Annual Reports on Strategic Export Controls and are subject to detailed retrospective scrutiny by the Quadripartite Committee. The quarterly and annual reports are available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office website at:
	http://wwwfco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec=Pagecid=1119522594750.

Sri Lanka

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representation has been made to express the UK Government's concerns about the unrest that broke out from 22 July about the water blockade in Vakarai, Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: We have been seriously concerned at the escalation of violence and the consequent serious deterioration of the situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka over the recent months which has resulted in many hundreds of deaths, including of civilians, and the displacement of over 200,000 people. Throughout this period, we have made this clear in meetings at the highest levels with the Government of Sri Lanka, and also to political representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. We have urged all parties to show restraint. We participated in an EU demarche in August on the Sri Lankan Foreign Minister about the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation. We also met the leader of the Sri Lankan opposition (United National Party), and stressed the importance of political consensus in working towards a solution that satisfies the concerns and legitimate aspirations of all Sri Lankans. We are in close contact with the Government of Norway and underline to both sides our full support for their efforts as peace process facilitators.

Sri Lanka

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what plans she has to continue to encourage all parties in Sri Lanka to reach a peaceful settlement.

Kim Howells: We are deeply concerned at the recent escalation in violence in Sri Lanka which has caused a serious deterioration of the situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka over recent months which has resulted in many hundreds of deaths, including of civilians and the displacement of over 200,000 people. Throughout this period we have made this clear in meetings at the highest levels with the Government of Sri Lanka, and also to political representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. We have urged all parties to show restraint.
	We welcome recent initiatives for talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. We support the efforts of the Government of Norway to bring the parties together for talks, in its role as facilitator of the Sri Lanka peace process and we are in close contact with them. The UK continues to support the view expressed recently by the Co-Chairs (EU, US, Norway, Japan) that negotiation and political commitment is the only viable route to a cessation of the current hostilities. And, a longer-term resolution of the conflict that takes full account of the legitimate demands of all communities within a democratic and stable Sri Lanka that fully observes human rights norms.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the implications of the executions of 17 aid workers in Sri Lanka; and whether these actions can be classified as a war crime.

Kim Howells: The loss of life in recent incidents including, but not limited to, the killing of the 17 Action Contre la Faim workers in Muttur is tragic. The full facts and circumstances of these killings remain unclear. Until they are established, it would not be appropriate to speculate on the status of this case. It is vital that a thorough and credible investigation be completed. The Sri Lankan authorities are currently carrying out an investigation. They have requested foreign experts to provide technical assistance; this is to be provided by the Australian Government.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action she  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to uphold the United Nations resolution in relation to Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: UN Security Council resolution 1612 deals with the recruitment of child soldiers, and calls for the monitoring of this practice in a number of countries including, Sri Lanka. Officials regularly make clear that the use of child soldiers in Sri Lanka cannot be tolerated and will continue to make such representations. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has identified the rights of the child as one of its top three human rights priorities. The UK has supported the establishment of a UN monitoring and reporting mechanism on children affected by armed conflict and is actively involved in the UN Security Council working group on children and armed conflict. We welcome the efforts of the UN Secretary-General's special representative on children and armed conflict, and promote the ratification of the UN convention on the rights of the child and its optional protocol on the involvement of children in armed conflict.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations she has made to Commonwealth  (a) countries and  (b) organisations to secure a peaceful resolution of the situation in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials maintain a regular dialogue on various issues including the situation in Sri Lanka with their counterparts in the region. We welcome the position of the Indian Government following the recent escalation of violence in Sri Lanka in calling on President Rajapakse to bring an end to the killing of Tamil civilians and make clear his vision of devolution. Like the UK, India is a strong supporter of Norway's role as facilitator of the peace process.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has made no specific representations to the Commonwealth as a whole on this subject, but officials are in regular contact with the Commonwealth Secretariat on a range of issues including the Sri Lankan conflict.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her assessment is of the situation in Sri Lanka and the status of the ceasefire agreement of 2002; and what actions the UK government is taking to ensure that the ceasefire is upheld.

Kim Howells: We are deeply concerned at the recent escalation in violence in Sri Lanka that has caused a serious deterioration of the situation in the north and east of Sri Lanka over recent months, which has resulted in many hundreds of deaths, including of civilians and the displacement of over 200,000. Throughout this period we have made and continue to make this clear in meetings at the highest levels with the Government of Sri Lanka and also to political representatives of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka. Most recently, my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister met President Rajapakse, Foreign Minister Samaraweera and senior Sri Lankan officials at Chequers on 31 August for talks on the security situation in Sri Lanka and the state of the peace process.
	The recent violence will not solve internal differences nor bring sustainable peace. All sides need to exercise restraint and act in a constructive and patient way. We believe it is essential that the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE live up to the commitments they made as part of the Ceasefire Agreement, and restated at talks in Geneva in February to stop the violence, human rights abuses and bloodshed.
	We welcome recent initiatives for talks between the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE. We support the efforts of the Government of Norway to bring the parties together for talks, in its role as the facilitator of the Sri Lanka peace process and we are in close contact with them. Negotiation is the only viable route to a cessation of the current hostilities and a longer-term resolution of the conflict that takes full account of the legitimate demands of all communities within a democratic and stable Sri Lanka that fully observes human rights norms.

Sri Lanka

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action she is prepared to take to ensure that  (a) United Nations and  (b) Norwegian monitors continue to work in Sri Lanka.

Kim Howells: The Government are not aware of any request by the Government of Sri Lanka for the UN or its agencies to leave the country or of any plan by the UN to do so. We understand that UN agencies are present throughout the country. We fully support the valuable work they are undertaking and together with EU and international partners have strongly pressed the Sri Lankan government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam to guarantee free access for the relief agencies and for humanitarian aid to people and areas in need.
	The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) and its Scandinavian personnel remain a vital element of the Cease-Fire Agreement. We fully support their work and the strong efforts made over recent months to ensure the SLMMs continued operation.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with  (a) the UN and  (b) the African Union Mission in Sudan on strategies to disarm the Janjawid.

Ian McCartney: The Darfur Peace Agreement (DPA) and various UN Security Council Resolutions require the Government of Sudan to disarm the Janjaweed. The DPA also gives the African Union Mission in Sudan a supervisory role in this. On Friday 23 June, the Government of Sudan publicly began disarming a small group of Janjaweed in South Darfur but no further disarmament has taken place so far as we can ascertain. We welcomed this step and call on the Sudanese Government to intensify this work. We also call on them urgently to present a comprehensive plan for neutralising and disarming the Janjaweed, as the DPA requires them to do. We discuss this and other issues on implementing the DPA regularly with both the African Union and the United Nations.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what investigations have been initiated to ascertain whether the allegations against peacekeepers in Gereida should be pursued.

Ian McCartney: The original allegations of sexual abuse by African Union (AU) personnel were made by Channel 4. The AU established a committee to investigate the allegations which is currently finalising its report. The UK is urging the AU to take a transparent approach and last raised the issue directly with the AU on 21 July.
	We are deeply concerned by these allegations. Abuse of vulnerable civilians by the very people who have been sent to protect them is something that we cannot tolerate. Responsibility lies with AU member states as well as the African Mission in Sudan itself. The AU must send a strong signal that abuse will not be tolerated.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with the Government of Sudan on the recent arrest in Torit Ehctein Equatina, Sudan; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Charles Locker, a Sudanese citizen, and executive director of the non-governmental organisation Manna Sudan, was arrested in Torit, Eastern Equatoria State, on 5 July. He was detained for allegedly writing and publishing an article critical of the local government.
	My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had any discussions with the Government of Sudan on this issue. However, the UK, together with our partners in the international community, monitored the case closely and were concerned that Mr. Locker was detained without charge and had no access to legal counsel. The Special Representative of the UN Secretary General, Jan Pronk, visited him in jail during a visit to Torit in August and raised his case with the Governor of Eastern Equatoria. Mr. Locker was released on 4 September after spending 59 days in detention.

Sudan

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the EU position is on impunity for those accused of human rights abuses in Darfur.

Ian McCartney: The EU has made it clear that there must be no impunity for those accused of human rights abuses in Darfur. In its Council Conclusions, it has regularly supported UN Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1593, which refers human rights abuses to the International Criminal Court (ICC). The EU calls on all parties in Sudan to co-operate fully with the ICC.
	In its latest Council Conclusions of 12 September, the EU condemns the continuing violations of the cease-fire by all parties, the violence directed at the civilian population and the targeting of humanitarian assistance. The Council calls on the Government of Sudan to protect its citizens from all violence and to guarantee respect for human rights. The Council endorses the statement by the UN Secretary-General to the UN Security Council on 11 September. In his statement he urges the Government of Sudan to embrace the spirit of UNSCR 1706 and warns that those who decide and carry out policies leading to death and suffering in Darfur will be held accountable.

Syria

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with Syria regarding the situation in the Middle East.

Kim Howells: Ministers have had no recent contact with their Syrian counterparts. However, we do have contact with the Syrians through our respective Embassies, and Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials have discussed the situation in the Middle East with Syrian officials throughout the crisis in Lebanon.

Thailand

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many British tourists have been murdered in Thailand in each year since 1997.

Kim Howells: The information requested is provided in the table as follows:
	
		
			   British nationals murdered in Thailand 
			 1997 1 
			 1998 2 
			 1999 1 
			 2000 3 
			 2001 1 
			 2002 3 
			 2003 4 
			 2004 3 
			 2005 5 
			 2006 (1)3 
			 (1) as of 3 October 2006. 
		
	
	These figures are inclusive of British nationals both resident and on holiday in Thailand. It is not possible to distinguish between tourists and residents as many British nationals, who consider themselves residents in Thailand, remain in the country on tourist visas.

Thailand

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment she has made of the  (a) recent terrorist attacks in Southern Thailand and  (b) security situation in Thailand.

Ian McCartney: We remain concerned by the continuing violence in the southern provinces of Thailand. We continually monitor the security situation there and in Thailand generally. This is reflected in our travel advice, which is reviewed regularly.
	The full travel advice for Thailand is available on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's website at:
	http://www.fco.gov.uk/servlet/Front?pagename=OpenMarket/Xcelerate/ShowPagec-Pagecid=1007029390590a=KCountryAdviceaid=1013618386505
	Travel Advice is also available by calling 0845 850 2829.

Thailand

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if she will make a statement on the political situation in Thailand.

Kim Howells: The Thai armed forces took power in Thailand through a coup during the evening of 19 September. The Council for Democratic Reform (CDR) announced the suspension of the constitution and the imposition of martial law. On 2 October the CDR appointed former Privy Counsellor, General Surayud Chulanond, as interim Prime Minister and promulgated an interim constitution. The CDR has set out a timetable for the drafting of a substantive, new constitution and the holding of elections within 12 months. General Surayud announced his new cabinet on 8 October.
	We regret the coup, which marks a setback for the evolution of Thailand's democracy. Along with our EU and other international partners, we urge the Thai authorities to comply with their human rights obligations, hold elections and restore accountable democracy to allow the people of Thailand as a whole to choose their government, as soon as possible.

Turkmenistan

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions  (a) she,  (b) officials in her Department and  (c) UK representatives in Turkmenistan have had with members and representatives of the government of Turkmenistan concerning the (i) grounds and (ii) conditions of detention of (A) Annankurban Armanklychev, (B) Ogulsapar Muradova and (C) Sapardurdy Khadjiev; and if she will make a statement.

Geoff Hoon: Our Ambassador in Ashgabat has been following the cases of Annakurban Amanklychev, Ogulsapar Muradova and Sapardurdy Khadjiev extremely closely. He has been in regular touch with the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Centre in Ashgabat and worked alongside the local EU presidency, who have taken the lead in contacting the Turkmen authorities. The fact that no international observers were allowed into the trial of the three co-accused raises serious questions about whether due process of law was observed.
	We are deeply perturbed by the circumstances of the tragic death of Mrs Muradova and we have expressed our profound sympathy to Mrs Muradova's family. Our ambassador has invited her family to meet him and other EU Heads of Mission. The EU presidency issued a statement on 15 September expressing strong concern about her death, and about the trial, and calling on the Government of Turkmenistan to respect its international obligations and to guarantee the safety of Mrs Muradova's family members, and of Khadjiev and Amanklychev. The text of the presidency statement is available on the following website:
	http://www.eu2006.fi/news_and_documents/cfsp_statements/vko37/en_GB/1158330328874/.
	We note the willingness expressed by the Turkmen Government to pass the post-mortem report to the family and hope that this will clarify the cause of death. Through the OSCE, we have called on the Turkmen Government to safeguard the rights of the family under Turkmen law and made clear that we expect Amanklychev and Khadjiev to be treated humanely in accordance with Turkmenistan's international obligations.
	We and our EU and OSCE partners will continue to follow this case closely.

Uganda

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment her Department has made of the  (a) security situation in Northern Uganda since April 2006 and  (b) impact on the security situation of the Ugandan Government's plan to replace the army with a civilian police force; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The security situation in northern Uganda has improved considerably through 2006, but remains fragile. The major threats to safety are from the activities of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), Karamojong warriors, criminals and road accidents. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office continues to advise against travel to the region.
	Since April, the numbers of civilians abducted and killed by the LRA has declined significantly. This has been attributed to the initiation of peace talks between the LRA and the Government of Uganda. On 26 August 2006 a cessation of hostilities agreement was signed between the two sides, which offers hope for a longer term peace deal and improvement in the security situation.
	The Ugandan Government has announced a plan, which we support, to replace the army with a civilian police force in northern Ugandabut this has yet to be implemented.

Uganda

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent assessment she has made of the prospects for a peace settlement with the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The prospects for a peaceful settlement to the long-running conflict in northern Uganda improved when the Government of southern Sudan offered to mediate between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Ugandan Government earlier this year.
	The Juba based talks process remains fragile, but the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement on 26 August was an encouraging development. This gave some grounds for hope that permanent peace is possible. But it is too early to say that the conflict is over and there may well be some setbacks as the process develops.
	Appointments to the cessation of hostilities monitoring team now need to be finalised, so that it can start its work, and concerted face to face talks on the substance of a comprehensive settlement are crucial.

UN Democracy Fund

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what her criteria are for evaluating the success of the UN Democracy Fund agreed at the UN World Summit.

Ian McCartney: As set out in its terms of reference, the primary purpose of the UN Democracy Fund (UNDEF) is to promote democratisation throughout the world. The UNDEF will provide assistance for projects that build and strengthen democratic institutions, promote human rights, and initiatives that are intended to ensure the full participation of all groups in the democratic process.
	The fund is still developing and consulting on options for its long-term strategy but has begun to operate. In August 2006 the UN announced the first grants for 125 projects, selected from 1,300 proposals, to a value of US$ 36 million (out of US$ 49 million pledged to UNDEF). The UK contributed 350,000 (US$ 609,000) to the fund. The responsibilities of the Office of the UNDEF include arranging monitoring and evaluation of the programme. More details of the terms of reference and work of the fund can be found at: www.un.org/democracyfund.
	We expect the fund to contribute to ensuring:
	that the UN continues to give a high priority to the promotion of democratic values and principles;
	the enhanced role and participation of disadvantaged members of the community, especially women, in the democratic process, including through strengthened civil society and civic education;
	improvements in the electoral process itself; and
	better informed electorates, through better access to information and more effective and pluralistic media.
	We will measure its success against these indicators.

UN Peacekeepers

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much financial support the UK provides for training to prevent exploitation and sexual abuse by UN peacekeepers.

Kim Howells: The UK condemns, in the strongest terms, all acts of sexual exploitation and abuse by whomever they are committed and strongly supports the actions of the UN Secretary-General to implement a 'zero-tolerance' approach in all United Nation Missions.
	Most UN activity in this area is funded through the UN's Regular and Peacekeeping budgets, to which the UK is the fourth largest contributor. The UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations has introduced a training module covering prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, for mandatory use in pre-deployment training of peacekeepers. It has developed other training tools, including an online e-learning module on standards of conduct, pocket cards and booklets distributed to staff prior to deployment, posters and brochures on sexual exploitation and abuse and human trafficking. The UK has supported this work by providing funding of US $49,125 for the production of a training film on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel.
	The Ministry of Defence is currently undertaking an audit of the gender content of its pre-deployment training for UN Missions, to ensure that it adequately covers gender awareness training, and raise awareness of the UN Code of Conduct on personal behaviour.

United States

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations the Government have made to the United States Administration about the operation of US-based websites run by the 32 County Sovereignty Movement; and if she will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Government have not made any representations to the United States Administration about such websites.

United States

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment has been made of the feasibility of implementing a system for end-use monitoring comparable to the Blue Lantern system in the United States; and what discussions she has had with officials in the US on this matter.

Kim Howells: The Government have not made and has no plans to assess the feasibility of implementing a system for end-use monitoring comparable to the Blue Lantern system in the United States. Nor have I had any discussions with officials in the US on this matter.
	All export licence applications from the UK are rigorously assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Consolidated EU and National Export Licensing Criteria, taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application. Our diplomatic posts monitor local developments closely and note any information which comes to light that military equipment supplied by the UK has been used in a manner inconsistent with the Consolidated Criteria. The Government will take this into consideration when assessing any future export licence applications. The Government may also revoke relevant licences and ask the authorities in the country concerned to investigate.

United States

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what advice her Department issued to people travelling to the United States during the heat-wave.

Ian McCartney: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office maintains a web-site and telephone call centre, which offer regularly-reviewed and updated information including specific country and destination advice and general safety travel tips.
	No specific travel advice has been issued about the recent heat-wave which affected many parts of the United States.

United States

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what role has been played by each consulate general in the United States in promoting the role of international carbon emissions trading in combating climate change; and with which US states each has been engaged.

Ian McCartney: Activity on climate change is a priority for our US network. Each consulate-general in the United States is active in promoting the Government's climate change policies, including on carbon emissions trading. This includes engagement with the state and city governments and state legislatures, climate change specialists and scientists, the private sector, and the general public by way of speeches, conferences, exhibitions, and exchange visits to and from the UK.
	A specific example is the work of our San Francisco and Los Angeles Consulate-Generals on the UK-California collaboration on climate change and clean energy, launched by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in July. This collaboration will explore the potential for linkage of emissions trading schemes in California and the UK/EU. In addition, the Boston Consulate-General has maintained close relations with officials in the seven northeastern US States developing a regional greenhouse gas initiative, which aims to create a mandatory cap and trade scheme for carbon dioxide emissions from power plants.

United States

George Galloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs why all references to her concern at the use of Prestwick airport by the US Air Force to supply weapons to the state of Israel made in her speech of 27 July 2006 were removed from the version of that speech as it appeared on her Department's website; by whom the removals were made; and if she will make a statement.

Kim Howells: On 26 July, my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary commented briefly on the Prestwick flights issue during a Channel 4 News interview. Her comments were reported in the UK and international media promptly afterwards. However, the major part of that particular interview focused on the situation in Lebanon, which was the top foreign policy news story that week. As such Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) officials put an edited version of the interview on the FCO website in order to highlight those comments. The FCO reserves the right to edit the content of the FCO website.

Uzbekistan

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether she has made any representations to the United Nations for it to encourage its members to raise human rights issues with Uzbekistan in  (a) trade and  (b) other bilateral contacts with that country.

Kim Howells: Most recently, we raised issues of concern with the UN special rapporteur on extrajudicial killings and torture when he reported on Uzbekistan to the Human Rights Council at the second session in September 2006. Separately, on 2 October, the Human Rights Council examined the human rights situation in Uzbekistan in closed session under the 1503 procedure. In November, the UN General Assembly (UNGA) will consider how the situation in Uzbekistan has developed since last year's resolution.
	Internationally we have supported the efforts of UN special rapporteurs to work with Uzbekistan e.g. on torture, and on the independence of the judiciary. In December 2005, 74 countries supported an EU-sponsored resolution on the human rights situation in Uzbekistan at the UNGA.
	Bilaterally and with our EU colleagues we monitor closely the human rights situation in Uzbekistan. We seek clarification on new developments both from reputable human rights organisations in Uzbekistan and from the Uzbek authorities. We draw human rights cases to the attention of the Uzbek authorities both informally and formally, in meetings, through demarches and through declarations.
	The EU provides for human rights discussions with Uzbekistan through its Partnership and Co-operation Agreement with Uzbekistan, which covers a range of issues including economic and trade relations. In October 2005, the EU adopted an arms embargo and a visa ban against the Uzbek officials directly responsible for the events in Andizhan in May 2005.

Visas

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs which embassies use private agencies to process visa applications to visit the UK.

Kim Howells: Many of our visa sections in diplomatic missions overseas work with commercial partners, who deliver the customer facing part of the visa process in convenient locations, often with extended opening hours. Commercial partners' services can include couriering documents, giving general information, accepting visa applications, collecting fees, organising interviews, and returning passports to customers.
	Commercial partners are not involved in, and cannot influence, any part of the process to decide who is eligible for a visa. This remains solely with our staff in visa sections.
	A list of missions and their commercial partners is in the following table.
	
		
			  Country  Commercial Partner 
			 Algeria World Trading Group 
			 Australia CCS 
			 Bangladesh VFS 
			 Canada Abtran 
			 China VF Worldwide Holdings 
			 Cyprus Evresis 
			 Egypt TNT 
			 Germany Abtran 
			 Ghana VFS 
			 India VFS 
			 Indonesia VFS 
			 Ireland Abtran 
			 Italy Abtran 
			 Jamaica DHL 
			 Jordan DHL 
			 Kenya Visaco 
			 Malawi DHL 
			 Malaysia VFS 
			 Mozambique DHL 
			 Nigeria VFS 
			 Pakistan Gerry's/FedEx 
			 Philippines TT Services 
			 Qatar VFS 
			 Russia VFS 
			 Rwanda Viasco 
			 Singapore VFS 
			 South Africa DHL 
			 Spain Abtran 
			 Sri Lanka VFS 
			 Syria DHL 
			 Thailand VFS 
			 Turkey Setur 
			 Uganda VHS 
			 USA Abtran 
			 Uzbekistan TNT(Bekk Courier) 
			 Zimbabwe Viasco

Zimbabwe

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for International Development on effective ways of getting food and other humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe.

Ian McCartney: Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Department for International Development officials discuss Zimbabwe policy frequently. On 13 September, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Development held a meeting with officials from both Departments to consider UK humanitarian assistance to Zimbabwe. The UK remains one of the largest donors of humanitarian aid to Zimbabwe, amounting to over 120 million since 2001. Our assistance does not go through the Zimbabwean government; instead we channel it through UN agencies and civil society organisations, who ensure that it reaches those that need it most.

Zimbabwe

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions she has had with Zimbabwean  (a) people,  (b) civil organisations and  (c) non-governmental organisations to enable her to make an assessment of the impact of (i) inflation, (ii) unemployment and (iii) the forced movement of citizens from informal settlements.

Ian McCartney: Officials in London and our Embassy in Harare are in constant contact with Zimbabwean civil society. Zimbabwe's ruinous economic policies have led to an official rate of inflation above 1200 per cent. and rising, unemployment at over 80 per cent., and forced evictions continuing. Peaceful demonstrations are increasing, but Mugabe remains indifferent to his people's suffering, choosing instead to: stifle opposition; silence independent media; ignore international calls for reform; and deny any responsibility for the grave situation the country faces. On 19 September, I summoned the Zimbabwean Ambassador to express strong concern on behalf of the Government at the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations on 13 September by the Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions.
	We will continue to pressure the Government of Zimbabwe to restore respect for democratic values, human rights and the rule of law.

Zimbabwe

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what estimate she has made of the number of refugees who have fled from Zimbabwe to neighbouring states in each of the last six months.

Ian McCartney: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to him by my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Trade, Investment and Foreign Affairs (Ian Pearson) on 28 February,  Official Report, column 636W.
	While it is impossible to estimate with accuracy the numbers who continue to flee from Zimbabwe, it is clear the numbers are significant. We are concerned about the damaging effects this has on the region. We continue to raise this with Zimbabwe's neighbours, encouraging them to assess the impact of the Zimbabwean exodus, and urge them to look at solutions to end the crisis.

HOME DEPARTMENT

Accession State Workers

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will place in the Library the original report by officials that estimated the number of workers from the accession states who would exercise their right to come to the UK; and which division within his Department produced that report.

Liam Byrne: There was no report or estimate on this matter produced by officials from the Department prior to the enlargement of the European Union on 1 May 2004.
	Christian Dustmann et al from the University College London produced a report entitled The Impact of EU Enlargement on Migrations Flows, which was commissioned by the Home Office and published in June 2003. It contained estimates of the numbers of people expected to migrate to the UK from the new member states in the years following enlargement of the European Union on 1 May 2004. These are independent estimates and not Home Office figures.
	The report itself is available from the Department's Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at:
	www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/rdsolr2503.pdf

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what average hourly rate his Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Liam Byrne: A full and comprehensive answer to this question can be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Alcohol-related Offences

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the most recent estimate is of the number of alcohol-related disorders and crimes committed in a year.

Vernon Coaker: From the information collected centrally, it is not possible to identify those offences which are alcohol-related. Such offences are not specifically defined by statute and details of the individual circumstances of offences do not feature in the recorded crime data series.
	The British Crime Survey (BCS) provides information on the number of violent incidents where the offender was thought to be under the influence of alcohol. According to the latest BCS (2005-06) there were 1,029,000 violent incidents in England and Wales where the offender was thought to be under the influence of alcohol.
	The BCS also provides information on people's perceptions of types of antisocial behaviour in their area. Based on the 2005-06 BCS, just under one in four people perceived that people being drunk or rowdy in public places was a fairly or very big problem (24 percent.).
	This information was published by the Home Office in the Crime in England and Wales 2005-06 publication. This information is available in the Library, and via Home Office website:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/crimeew0506.html

Antisocial Behaviour

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many anti-social behaviour orders for under 16-year olds have been  (a) applied for by local authorities and  (b) subsequently granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area;
	(2)  how many anti-social behaviour orders have been  (a) applied for by local authorities and  (b) subsequently granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area;

Tony McNulty: I will place a copy of the available information in the House Libraries.

Antisocial Behaviour

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many antisocial behaviour orders for under 16-year-olds have been  (a) applied for by registered social landlords and  (b) subsequently granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area;
	(2)  how many antisocial behaviour orders have been  (a) applied for by registered social landlords and  (b) subsequently granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area.

Tony McNulty: The available information is given in the following tables.
	
		
			  Table B: Number of ASBOs applied for by registered social landlords in magistrates and county courts in England and Wales, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, by local authority area from 1 April 1999( 1)  to 30 September 2005 (latest available) 
			   Total ASBOs  Period 
			   1 April 1999 to 30 September 2005  1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000  1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 
			  Local authority area  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused 
			 Adur DC 1  
			 Birmingham CC 4  
			 Blackburn with Darwen BC 2  
			 Bradford, City of, MDC 10  
			 Brighton and Hove CC 1  
			 Broxtowe BC 1  
			 Burnley BC 8  
			 Calderdale MBC 1  
			 Cardiff CC 1  
			 Chester DC 1  
			 Croydon LB 2  
			 Denbighshire CC 1  
			 Enfield LB 3  
			 Epping Forest DC 1  
			 Epsom and Ewell BC 3  
			 Fylde BC 1  
			 Gloucester CC 3  
			 Haringey LB 1  
			 Havering LB 5  
			 Isle of Wight Council 4  
			 Islington LB 2  
			 Kennet DC 2  
			 Knowsley MBC 2  
			 Liverpool CC 2  
			 Manchester CC 17  
			 Mansfield DC 1  
			 Mid Sussex DC 2  
			 North East Lincolnshire Council 9  
			 North Hertfordshire DC 3  
			 Oldham MBC 1  
			 Penwith DC 1  
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council 1  
			 Rochdale MBC 2  
			 Rother DC 1  
			 Salisbury DC 1  
			 Sandwell MBC 1  
			 Southwark LB 1  
			 St. Helens MBC 3  
			 Stoke on Trent 2  
			 Trafford MBC 11  
			 Vale Royal BC 2  
			 Walsall BC 3  
			 Waltham Forest LB 3  
			 Warwick DC 2  
			 Wirrall MBC 2  
			 Woking BC 3  
			 Wolverhampton CC 1  
			 Worcester CC 3  
			 Total 137  
		
	
	
		
			   Period 
			   1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001  1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002  1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 
			  Local authority area  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused 
			 Adur DC   
			 Birmingham CC   
			 Blackburn with Darwen BC   
			 Bradford, City of, MDC 1  
			 Brighton and Hove CC   
			 Broxtowe BC   
			 Burnley BC 1  
			 Calderdale MBC   
			 Cardiff CC   
			 Chester DC   
			 Croydon LB 2  
			 Denbighshire CC   
			 Enfield LB   
			 Epping Forest DC   
			 Epsom and Ewell BC   
			 Fylde BC   
			 Gloucester CC   
			 Haringey LB   
			 Havering LB   
			 Isle of Wight Council 3  
			 Islington LB   
			 Kennet DC   
			 Knowsley MBC   
			 Liverpool CC   
			 Manchester CC 7  
			 Mansfield DC   
			 Mid Sussex DC   
			 North East Lincolnshire Council   
			 North Hertfordshire DC   
			 Oldham MBC   
			 Penwith DC   
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council   
			 Rochdale MBC   
			 Rother DC   
			 Salisbury DC 1  
			 Sandwell MBC 1  
			 Southwark LB   
			 St. Helens MBC   
			 Stoke on Trent   
			 Trafford MBC 6  
			 Vale Royal BC 1  
			 Walsall BC   
			 Waltham Forest LB   
			 Warwick DC   
			 Wirrall MBC 1  
			 Woking BC   
			 Wolverhampton CC   
			 Worcester CC   
			 Total 24  
		
	
	
		
			   Period 
			   1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004  1 January 2005 to 30 September 2005 
			  Local authority area  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused 
			 Adur DC   1  
			 Birmingham CC   4  
			 Blackburn with Darwen BC 1  1  
			 Bradford, City of, MDC 3  6  
			 Brighton and Hove CC 1
			 Broxtowe BC   1  
			 Burnley BC 4  3  
			 Calderdale MBC 1
			 Cardiff CC 1
			 Chester DC 1
			 Croydon LB 
			 Denbighshire CC   1  
			 Enfield LB   3  
			 Epping Forest DC 1
			 Epsom and Ewell BC 3
			 Fylde BC 1
			 Gloucester CC 3
			 Haringey LB   1  
			 Havering LB 2  3  
			 Isle of Wight Council 1
			 Islington LB   1  
			 Kennet DC 1  1  
			 Knowsley MBC 1  1  
			 Liverpool CC 2
			 Manchester CC 7  3  
			 Mansfield DC   1  
			 Mid Sussex DC 1  1  
			 North East Lincolnshire Council   9  
			 North Hertfordshire DC 3
			 Oldham MBC 1
			 Penwith DC   1  
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council 1
			 Rochdale MBC 2
			 Rother DC 1
			 Salisbury DC 
			 Sandwell MBC 
			 Southwark LB   1  
			 St. Helens MBC 2  1  
			 Stoke on Trent 2
			 Trafford MBC 2  3  
			 Vale Royal BC   1  
			 Walsall BC 1  2  
			 Waltham Forest LB 3
			 Warwick DC 1  1  
			 Wirrall MBC 1
			 Woking BC   3  
			 Wolverhampton CC 1
			 Worcester CC 3
			 Total 59  54  
			 (1) Between 1 April 1999 and 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area.  Notes: 1. Some of the local authority areas defined in the table may not be classified as formally listed borough, city, district or unitary authorities. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table A: Number of ASBOs for under 16-year-olds applied for by registered social Landlords in magistrates and county courts in England and Wales, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, by local authority area from 1 April 1999( 1)  to 30 September 2005 (latest available) 
			   Total ASBOs  Period 
			   1 April 1999 to 30 September 2005  1 April 1999 to 31 May 2000( 1)  1 June 2000 to 31 December 2000 
			  Local authority area  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused 
			 Adur DC 1  
			 Bradford, City of, MDC 2  
			 Brighton and Hove CC 1  
			 Burnley BC 3  
			 Enfield LB 1  
			 Epsom and Ewell BC 1  
			 Havering LB 1  
			 Kennet DC 1  
			 Manchester CC 3  
			 Masfield DC 1  
			 North East Lincolnshire Council 2  
			 North Hertfordshire DC 1  
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council 1  
			 Salisbury DC 1  
			 Southwark LB 1  
			 St. Helens MBC 3  
			 Trafford MBC 4  
			 Walsall MBC 1  
			 Woking BC 2  
			 Total 31  
		
	
	
		
			   Period 
			   1 January 2001 to 31 December 2001  1 January 2002 to 31 December 2002  1 January 2003 to 31 December 2003 
			  Local authority area  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused 
			 Adur DC   
			 Bradford, City of, MDC   
			 Brighton and Hove CC   
			 Burnley BC   
			 Enfield LB   
			 Epsom and Ewell BC   
			 Havering LB   
			 Kennet DC   
			 Manchester CC 3  
			 Masfield DC   
			 North East Lincolnshire Council   
			 North Hertfordshire DC   
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council   
			 Salisbury DC 1  
			 Southwark LB   
			 St. Helens MBC   
			 Trafford MBC 3  
			 Walsall MBC   
			 Woking BC   
			 Total 7  
		
	
	
		
			   Period 
			   1 January 2004 to 31 December 2004  1 January 2005 to 30 September 2005 
			  Local authority area  Total issued  Total refused  Total issued  Total refused 
			 Adur DC   1  
			 Bradford, City of, MDC   2  
			 Brighton and Hove CC 1
			 Burnley BC   3  
			 Enfield LB   1  
			 Epsom and Ewell BC 1
			 Havering LB   1  
			 Kennet DC   1  
			 Manchester CC 
			 Masfield DC   1  
			 North East Lincolnshire Council   2  
			 North Hertfordshire DC   1  
			 Redcar and Cleveland Council 1
			 Salisbury DC 
			 Southwark LB   1  
			 St. Helens MBC 2  1  
			 Trafford MBC 1
			 Walsall MBC   1  
			 Woking BC   2  
			 Total 6  18  
			 (1) Between 1 April 1999 and 31 May 2000 data were collected on aggregate numbers only by police force area.  Notes: 1. Some of the local authority areas defined in the table may not be classified as formally listed borough, city, district or unitary authorities. 2. Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Antisocial Behaviour

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many antisocial behaviour orders have been issued in Greater London; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: A table giving the number of antisocial behaviour orders issued at all courts by criminal justice system area, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, up to 30 September 2005 (latest available), can be found on the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk

Antisocial Behaviour

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) antisocial behaviour orders and  (b) acceptable behaviour contracts were issued in (i) Hammersmith and Fulham and (ii) Ealing, Acton and Shepherds Bush constituency in 2005.

Tony McNulty: A table giving the number of antisocial behaviour orders (ASBOs) issued annually, as reported to the Home Office by the Court Service, by the local government authority area in which prohibitions have been imposed, up to 30 September 2005 (latest available), can be found on the Crime Reduction website at www.crimereduction.gov.uk. ASBO data are not available at parliamentary constituency level.
	There are no national statistics on acceptable behaviour contracts (ABCs) as these are voluntary agreements.

Antisocial Behaviour

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of further reforms required to decrease incidents of antisocial behaviour.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are committed to tackling antisocial behaviour, and has a proven track record of success. We keep under continuous review the range of tools and powers available to practitioners and provide practical day to day support to front line services, for example through the Respect ActionLine and website. However, we know that more needs to be done to combat antisocial behaviour which is why, in January this year, the Respect Action Plan set out our intention to consider strengthening summary powers to bring about immediate protection for those suffering antisocial behaviour. This aligns with my further commitment in 'Rebalancing the Criminal Justice System' to consult on proposals to tackle low-level offending and antisocial behaviour.

Approved Premises

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many approved premises there are in England and Wales; and what total number of places they provide.

Gerry Sutcliffe: There are 104 approved premises in England and Wales. As at 20 September 2006, they provided a total of 2,268 places.

Asylum Seekers

Janet Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints he has received about the accommodation services provided by United Property Management of Collyhurst, Manchester for asylum seekers through the National Asylum Support Service; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: A total of 102 complaints have been registered since the contract with United Property Management (UPM) took effect in April.
	The number of complaints represents 2.5 per cent. of the total service users accommodated by UPM.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many asylum applications were received in 2005-06; how many were  (a) granted and  (b) refused; and how many are pending.

Liam Byrne: The latest statistical bulletin, Asylum Statistics United Kingdom 2005, was published on 22 August 2006.
	A copy of this publication and others relating to general immigration to the UK are available from the Library and from the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time was between receipt of an indefinite leave to remain application and its determination in the last period for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: This information is not readily available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Asylum Seekers

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average waiting time is between receipt of an asylum application and its determination.

Liam Byrne: The latest published statistics show that 76 per cent. of new applications (excluding withdrawals and third country cases) in 2005-06 had initial decisions made and served within two months. This exceeded the Government's target of 75 per cent.
	Information on the timeliness of initial decisions is published quarterly and annually. Copies are available from the library of the House and on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Border Control Force

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of a border control force on the United Kingdom's land frontier with the Republic of Ireland.

Liam Byrne: The land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland is part of the Common Travel Area (CTA).The objective of the common travel area (the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man and the Republic of Ireland) is to treat all territories as a single unit for the purpose of travel. The recently published report about the immigration system does not include any plans to change these arrangements. The UK Immigration Service and the Garda National Immigration Bureau have a close working relationship. There are regular intelligence led operations run by the Immigration Service, the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda to test any potential risks to the land border.

Bulgaria

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many visitor visas have been issued to people from Bulgaria in each month since 2001.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The number of visit visas issued to Bulgarian Nationals in each month since 2001 is as follows:
	
		
			  Visit visas (excluding family visits) 
			  Issued 
			  Month  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 April 1,197 1,182 961 904 1,181 1,062 
			 May 1,560 1,158 1,137 934 1,133 1,518 
			 June 1,726 1,117 1,295 1,427 1,848 1,824 
			 July 1,482 1,164 1,318 1,215 1,037 1,535 
			 August 1,053 886 855 846 1,299 1,391 
			 September 940 1,000 916 929 1,173 1,293 
			 October 1,032 976 1,137 1,054 1,300  
			 November 1,106 960 931 1,166 1,402  
			 December 786 652 696 770 888  
			 January 884 797 1,069 991 1,190  
			 February 940 828 1,057 987 1,222  
			 March 815 928 1,129 1,194 1,435  
			 Total 13,251 11,648 12,501 12,417 15,108 8,623 
		
	
	
		
			  Family visits 
			  Issued 
			  Month  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 April 0 169 193 190 239 278 
			 May 0 175 203 224 218 324 
			 June 0 183 259 330 297 405 
			 July 0 178 258 259 290 326 
			 August 0 167 186 214 329 318 
			 September 0 125 159 161 252 169 
			 October 0 185 193 253 650  
			 November 1 240 217 408 705  
			 December 1 211 219 292 572  
			 January 3 120 120 134 184  
			 February 15 119 149 156 199  
			 March 108 134 221 244 368  
			 Total 128 2,006 2,377 2,865 4,303 1,820 
		
	
	UKvisas makes every effort to ensure that statistics produced from Central Referencing System are accurate. However, the complexity of our global business, including technical failures or occasional inconsistencies in data entry across over 150 offices, means that we cannot guarantee 100 per cent. accuracy.

Cash-in-Transit Robberies

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether cash-in-transit robberies are included in the Government's definition of serious and organised crime.

Vernon Coaker: Organised crime does not have a strict definition but is usually regarded as referring to crimes which involve two or more persons engaging in continuing serious criminal activities for substantial profit, whether based in the UK or elsewhere. Some cash-in-transit robberies are likely to fall within that description.

Cash-in-Transit Robberies

James McGovern: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were  (a) arrested and  (b) convicted for cash-in-transit robberies in (i) 2004, (ii) 2005 and (iii) 2006.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is not available centrally. Information on arrests held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform is based on persons arrested for recorded crime notifiable offences by main offence group (i.e. robbery, sexual offences, theft and handling stolen goods, violence against the person, burglary etc.) only. Information is therefore not available to the detail required.
	It is also not possible to identify 'cash in transit' robberies from other robberies on the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform, as the individual circumstances of robberies are not centrally collected.

Child Pornography

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many incidents of downloads of child pornography occurred in  (a) prisons and  (b) ex-offenders' institutions in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No cases of downloads of child pornography have been reported in prisons or probation hostels in the last five years. Internet use is closely monitored and controls are in place to filter out access to inappropriate websites.

Class A Drugs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what research he has carried out into the impact on the supply to each constituent part of the UK of class A drugs from Afghanistan following the invasion in 2001.

Vernon Coaker: No such research has been carried out.

Class A Drugs

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many registered class A drug users there have been in Scotland in each year since 2001.

Vernon Coaker: I am advised by the Scottish Executive that there is no central register of problem drug misusers in Scotland.

Closure Orders

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many closure orders have been  (a) applied for and  (b) granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area.

Vernon Coaker: The data are not available in the form requested.

Community Orders

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons have had their benefit withheld following the breach of a community order in each of the pilot areas.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Office and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) jointly undertook to pilot a scheme to apply a benefits sanction to offenders found to be in breach of their community sentence. The scheme was piloted in four probation areas Derbyshire, Hertfordshire, West Midlands, and Teessidefrom October 2001.
	The following figures for the number of offenders sanctioned have been compiled by DWP and are not available at area level.
	
		
			  High level figures for the original 12-month evaluation period, 15 October 2001 to 14 October 2002 
			   Number 
			 Warning letters issued to offenders 3,124 
			 Notifications of breach determination 883 
			 Sanctions applied 396 
			   
			 Offenders receiving a 100 per cent. sanction on JSA 237 
			 Offenders receiving a 40 per cent. reduction on IS 153 
			 Offenders receiving a 20 per cent. reduction on IS 6 
		
	
	
		
			  Overall figures on numbers sanctioned to end of further monitoring period, 15 October 2001 to 13 May 2005 
			   Number 
			 Warning letters issued to offenders 17,304 
			 Notifications of breach notification 6,310 
			 Sanctions applied 2,795 
			   
			 Offenders receiving a 100 per cent. sanction on JSA 1,569 
			 Offenders receiving a 40 per cent. reduction on IS 1,160 
			 Offenders receiving a 20 per cent. reduction on IS 65 
			 Offenders receiving a sanction on their training allowance 1 
			  Notes: 1. JSA = Job Seekers Allowance.  2. IS = Income Support.

Community Service

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many offenders failed to complete their community service hours in  (a) England and Wales,  (b) Bedfordshire and  (c) Luton in each of the last five years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Information for England and Wales on the completion rates for the main types of community sentence, for each year since 1994, can be found in table 5.1 of the Home Office Statistical Bulletin: Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004, a copy of which can be found in the Library. Provisional data on completion rates in 2005 have been published in the latest Offender Management Caseload Quarterly Brief (October to December 2005) which is available on the Home Office website. The reliability of this data below national level is not sufficiently robust for publication.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems.
	Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Condoleezza Rice (Police Costs)

Paul Rowen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the cost of policing the visit in 2006 of the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice was to  (a) Merseyside police and  (b) Lancashire police; and what additional grant was paid to each police authority to cover those costs.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 26 July 2006
	Lancashire and Merseyside police have indicated that the additional costs of policing the visit of US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, were 174,000 and 226,000 respectively. Lancashire police has received 174,000 special grant support. Merseyside police has applied for 226,000 and this application is under consideration.

Correspondence

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will provide a substantive reply to the letter of 24 May (correspondence reference M12777/6) from the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan which received an acknowledgment on 26 May.

Joan Ryan: I wrote to the hon. Member on 24 August 2006.

Correspondence

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter of 2 June from the hon. Member for Angus concerning Mrs. McKenzie of Forfar, a constituent of the hon. Member.

Liam Byrne: I wrote to the hon. Member on 26 July.

Correspondence

Gerald Kaufman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will reply to the letter dated 30 May from the right hon. Member for Manchester, Gorton with regard to Ms Samina Kavsar, transferred from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Liam Byrne: My right hon. Friend the Home Secretary wrote to my right hon. Friend on 27 July 2006.

Crime (Kent)

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many violent crimes recorded in North Kent resulted in an arrest and successful prosecution in the last year for which statistics are available.

Tony McNulty: The information requested on arrests for violent crimes in North Kent is not available centrally. Information on arrests is based on persons arrested for recorded crime notifiable offences by police force area only in England and Wales, and therefore does not identify individual areas.
	Information from the Court Proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants convicted of violent crime in the North Kent area is shown in the following table. Figures for 2005 will be available in November 2006.
	
		
			  Defendants found guilty at all courts for violence against the person, sexual offences and robbery, in North Kent, 2004( 1, 2, 3) 
			  Number 
			  Offence type  Found guilty 
			 Violence against the person 264 
			 Sexual offences 33 
			 Robbery 53 
			 Total 350 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  (3) The data supplied for North Kent comprise the following local justice areas: West Kent, Faversham and Sittingbourne, Thanet and Dartford and Gravesham.

Crime (Milton Keynes)

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people were arrested for carrying  (a) a knife and  (b) a dangerous weapon in Milton Keynes in each year between 1997 and 2006.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is not available centrally. Information is collected at police force area level and in respect of offences by main offence group and does not identify individual offences.

Crime Prevention

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures are being deployed in  (a) Peterborough constituency and  (b) Cambridgeshire to prevent offending by (i) prolific and (ii) other priority offenders; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 26 July 2006
	Information about specific interventions for offenders targeted by the Prolific and other Priority Offender programme is not held centrally. These interventions are tailored to meet the needs of the offenders targeted by the programme to address the risk of re-offending. The nature of the interventions is not necessarily dependent on whether the offender has been selected for the programme as a 'prolific' or 'other priority' offender. There are currently six PPO schemes across Cambridgeshire, including the Peterborough scheme. Each brings together a range of local partners including the police and probation services but also, for example, Youth Offending Teams, mental health services, Connexions and education and welfare services. The support provided to individual offenders will include help in addressing drugs or alcohol problems, accommodation and employment training needs. Early findings from the national evaluation of the PRO programme suggested that there was a 10 per cent. reduction in recorded convictions for those first targeted by the programme over their first six months on a PRO scheme

Criminal Records Bureau

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases the Criminal Records Bureau has wrongly reported that a person has a criminal record related to offences against children in each of the last three years.

Joan Ryan: I refer the hon. Member to my written answer of 19 July 2006,  Official Report, column 541W.
	Information is not available to provide the number of occasions in each year such cases involved children. Such information could be provided only by conducting an individual case search against the Police National Computer (PNC) and at disproportionate cost.

Criminal Records Bureau

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what checks are made by the Criminal Records Bureau on foreign nationals working in the areas of  (a) education,  (b) social care and  (c) health; and what plans he has to review the procedures for such checks.

Joan Ryan: The Criminal Records Bureau's (CRB) Disclosure service is only available for those positions and types of work included in the Exceptions Order (1975) to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. The Standard and Enhanced Disclosure process includes checks against the Police National Computer (PNC) and, if applicable, a search against Section 142 of the Education Act 2002, the Protection of Children Act and Protection of Vulnerable Adults (PoCA and PoVA) lists.
	Enhanced Disclosures also contain a further check conducted by police forces for any relevant non-conviction information. The checks are undertaken irrespective of an applicant's nationality or length of residence in the United Kingdom.
	Individuals who work in the education, social care and health sectors will require a combination of all the above checks, depending upon the nature of their work and whether their position brings them into contact with children, vulnerable adults or both.
	The procedures are subject to continuous review and the CRB is in discussion with the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) and others about seeking access to overseas conviction data. Discussions are at the preliminary stage and it is too early to say how data will be shared and there are a number of concerns that would need to be addressed, including the safety of data for inclusion within the Disclosure service, the legality of sharing data, the safety of UK data provided to overseas agencies and the interpretation of overseas conviction information to ensure that employment decisions are made consistently and effectively.
	In the meantime, the CRB has introduced an overseas service in February 2003 to provide details and guidance to employers and individuals on how to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a person's own criminal record from those countries included in the overseas service.
	This information can be used in conjunction with the full range of pre-appointment checks to ensure that the prospective employee is suitable for the post. These pre-appointment checks are the responsibility of the employer and a CRB Disclosure is only one part of that process. Full details of this service are available on the CRB's website at www.crb.gov.uk//overseas.
	Some countries, including most in the EU, also have arrangements enabling their citizens to obtain certificates of good conduct or extracts from any existing criminal record to show to prospective employers. These may be obtained once the prospective employees have arrived in the UK but it may be advisable for them to obtain the document before leaving their home country.

Criminal Records Bureau

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what access his Department has to the results of Criminal Records Bureau checks carried out in other EU member states; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what arrangements are in place to ensure that all EU migrants are subject to a Criminal Records Bureau check before commencing employment in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Joan Ryan: There is no direct equivalent to the Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) in other EU member states. Each country operates its own arrangements for providing access to criminal record information and the CRB does not currently access overseas criminal records as part of its Disclosure service.
	The CRB's Standard and Enhanced Disclosure process contains a check against the Police National Computer (PNC), which may contain details of some overseas convictions relating to British nationals. Enhanced Disclosures also contain a check conducted by police forces for any relevant non-conviction information. The checks are undertaken irrespective of an applicant's nationality or the length of time spent in the UK.
	Not all EU migrants in, or seeking, employment in the UK are required to obtain CRB checks; the Disclosure service is only available for those positions and types of work included in the Exception Order (1975) to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974. An individual may become known to the police within days of entering the country and eligible employers should therefore always be encouraged to undertake Disclosure checks regardless of the length of time an individual has been resident in the UK.
	The CRB introduced an overseas service in February 2003 to provide details and guidance to employers and individuals on how to obtain a certificate of good conduct or a copy of a person's own criminal record from those countries included in the service. This information can be used in conjunction with the full range of pre-appointment checks to ensure that the prospective employee is suitable for the post.
	These pre-appointment checks are the responsibility of the employer and a CRB Disclosure is only one part of that process. Full details of the overseas service are available on the CRB's website at www.crb.gov.uk//overseas.
	Some countries, including most in the EU, also have arrangements enabling their citizens to obtain certificates of good conduct or extracts from any existing criminal record to show to prospective employers. These may be obtained once the prospective employees have arrived in the UK but it may be advisable for them to obtain the document before leaving their home country.
	Until earlier this year, there was no overarching legislative framework to enable CRB to approach other member states to obtain details of citizens' criminal records. However, the Government have introduced legislation that has enabled the CRB to capture overseas conviction data for the first time as part of the Disclosure service.
	In addition and following a recent EU Council decision the Home Office, in conjunction with the CRB and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO), has become involved in EU initiatives to explore how criminal record and disqualification data across EU states might be used for employment vetting and disclosure purposes. These discussions are at a preliminary stage at present and more information will become available in due course.
	The CRB is also in discussion with ACPO and others about seeking access to other, non-EU overseas conviction data. ACPO have agreed in principle to work with the CRB on the development of bi-lateral agreements. However there are some concerns that need to be addressed, including the safety of data for inclusion within the Disclosure service, the legality of sharing data, the safety of UK data provided to overseas agencies and the interpretation of overseas conviction information to ensure that employment decisions are made consistently and effectively.

Cycling

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what measures he is taking to ensure the law against cyclists going through red traffic lights is enforced.

Vernon Coaker: Chief officers are best placed to decide on the level of priority given to this offence in the light of local circumstances.
	As with other offending we would encourage members of the public to give evidence of specific problems and of particularly dangerous behaviour to the police. This will help them to target their responses effectively.

Cycling

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cyclists were  (a) fined and  (b) prosecuted for going through a red traffic light in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: It is not possible to identify the number of cyclists prosecuted or fined at magistrates courts for traffic light offences in England and Wales as this offence is grouped with a range of other cycling offences and cannot be separated.

Defence Intelligence and Security Centre

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Lewes of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1178, on the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre, to which Department the Director of the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre reports; and whether decentralised records of departmental officials attending the centre each year are kept by any agency or non-departmental public body reporting to his Department.

Tony McNulty: The Defence Intelligence and Security Centre is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence. Commandant DISC reports to Director General Intelligence Collection (DGIC) who in turn reports to the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) within the Ministry of Defence. The information requested regarding Home Office officials attending DISC is not collected systematically and would only be held, if at all, in the form of records kept at local unit level. Collating this information could be done only at disproportionate cost.

Delmar Hossein Syeeshi

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what objections were received by his Department prior to the visit to the UK of Mr. Delmar Hossein Syeeshi; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: I cannot comment on individual cases. However, all applicants must meet the entry clearance criteria/immigration controls, as set out on the UKvisas website at www.ukvisas.gov.uk

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the total carbon emission from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Liam Byrne: In order to contribute to the annual Sustainable Development in Government report, Departments submit data on the energy consumption used across their office estate. This is then converted by the Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) into an estimate of the carbon emissions that resulted. The details for the Home Office estate (including prisons) for the years since 1997 are:
	
		
			  Financial Year  Consumption (thousand tonnes of carbon) 
			 1997-98(1) 123.1 
			 1998-99(1) 109.7 
			 1999-2000 104.6 
			 2000-01 102.7 
			 2001-02 103.3 
			 2002-03 111.9 
			 2003-04 104.3 
			 2004-05 107.0 
			 2005-06 (2) 
			 (1) The figures for these years were calculated by the BRE using a different methodology and are not directly comparable with figures for subsequent years.  (2) Not yet available.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which of his Department's premises have child care facilities on site.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office provides a limited number of subsidised workplace nursery and playscheme places in London, Croydon and Merseyside. The following table sets out the nurseries and playschemes used and whether the provision is provided on or off site.
	
		
			  Workplace nursery places  Location  On/Off site  Number of places available 
			 Buffer Bear Network Central London and the South East Off site 32 
			 Sunbeam Nursery(1) Croydon On site 71 
			 Early Days Nursery Liverpool Off site 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Holiday play schemes  Area  On/Offsite  Number of places (days) 
			 Westminster Holiday Playscheme Central London Off site (2)463 
			 Happy Hours Playscheme Crosby Off site (2)15 
			 Sunbeam Playscheme Croydon On site (2)4,060 
			 Kidz Club Playscheme Liverpool Off site (3)15 
			 (1) The Sunbeam Nursery will be closing in December 2006.  (2) Use of the play scheme varies and places are generally provided on a 'first come first served basis'. The figures provided are based on the number of days used by staff in the financial year 2005-06.  (3) As use of the play scheme varies an estimate has been provided based on usage of the scheme so far this year.

Departmental Child Care Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether there are waiting lists for places at child care facilities which his Department provides for its employees.

Tony McNulty: A limited number of subsidised workplace nursery and playscheme places are available for staff working in London, Croydon and Merseyside. There are currently no waiting lists for any of the nursery places. Applications for holiday playscheme places are operated on a 'first come, first served' basis.

Departmental Expenditure

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on temporary overnight accommodation in London for civil servants in his Department in each year since 1997.

John Reid: The information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Expenditure

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what developmental courses have been undertaken by officials in his Department since 5 May using departmental funds; and what the total cost was of each.

Tony McNulty: This response takes 'officials' to mean all staff in the Home Office Group and 'developmental courses' to mean leadership and management development training. Data are not held centrally on the number of staff who attend external developmental courses nor on the cost of these courses. Staff are encouraged to take up internal developmental opportunities: the Department offers a range of management development programmes and leadership development programmes. It is not possible to break down the overall cost of these programmes to find the cost per individual participant since 5 May 2006. Over 1,528 staff have undertaken internal developmental courses or workshops since 5 May.

Departmental Staff

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to paragraph 30 of the Reform Action Plan, how many staff will be made redundant; and what estimate he has made of the cost of redundancy payments.

John Reid: My Department plans to avoid compulsory redundancies as a result of the reduction in the size of its headquarters.

Dispersal Orders

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dispersal orders have been  (a) applied for and  (b) granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area.

Tony McNulty: Section 30 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003 provides the police with powers to disperse groups and remove under-16s to their place of residence, within authorised areas. These powers came into force on 20 January 2004. Information on the use of the powers has not been routinely collected. However from a one-off Home Office data collection exercise, we estimate that 809 areas were designated between January 2004 and June 2005. This information is not broken down by local authority area. The information is now being collected by police force area.

DNA Database

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many DNA profiles have been removed from the national DNA database on the basis of an approved special request made by the individuals concerned in each year since 2000.

Joan Ryan: The decision on whether to agree to a request from an individual to have their DNA profile removed from the National DNA Database lies with the Chief Officer of the force which took the sample. Until recently, no central records were kept of the circumstances in which Chief Officers exercised their discretion in this matter. The Association of Chief Police Officers issued guidance to Chief Officers on the consideration of applications for removal at the end of January 2006. The then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, my hon. Friend the Member for Leigh (Andy Burnham), made a written ministerial statement on the guidance on 16 February 2006,  Official Report, column 117WS and placed it in the Library. ACPO have tasked a specialist unit within Hampshire police (known as ACPO Criminal Record Office) with supporting the Chief Officer's consideration of the exercise of his or her discretion, by providing examples of how requests have been dealt with in other forces and offering advice. However, the decision remains with Chief Officers, who for example may still decide to retain DNA samples without reference to the unit. Specialist unit figures show that at 31 August 2006, of the cases which they have examined, 36 profiles have been removed. In a further 38 cases it has been decided that they are to be removed but this decision has not yet been actioned. There are no central records for cases considered before January 2006, or cases since then where the Chief Officer has not referred the matter to the unit.

DNA Database

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 8 February 2006,  Official Report, column 1270W, on DNA profiles, whether there is evidence that persons arrested but not proceeded against are more likely to offend than the population at large; and what estimate he has made of how many matches an average crime scene would yield if there was a national database with everyone on it.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 13 September 2006
	As far as we are aware, there are no definitive data available on whether persons arrested but not proceeded against are more likely to offend than the population at large.
	In relation to persons on the National DNA Database, as indicated in the answer of 20 December 2005,  Official Report, column 2890W, at early December 2005, there were 124,347 people with a DNA profile on the NDNAD who had been arrested and who were not subsequently charged or cautioned with an offence. New data obtained recently from the ACPO Criminal Records Office indicate that over 23,000 of the 124,347 persons had had a PNC record created prior to the arrest event when their DNA sample was taken. This indicates that these persons had been charged, reported for summons and/or sanctioned(1) for at least one other offence prior to the arrest event at which they had a DNA sample taken.
	No information is currently available on the proportion of the 124,347 persons who may have been charged, reported for summons or sanctioned for an offence after the arrest event when their DNA sample was taken. The Home Office, ACPO and PITO are working towards being able to provide such information from the NDNAD and PNC.
	Monitoring of the implementation of the powers introduced in April 2004 which enable the police to take DNA from persons who have been arrested for a recordable offence has also provided some information. Since April 2004 sampling persons who have been arrested but not proceeded against has yielded a match with a crime scene stain in over 3,000 offences. These offences include 37 murders, 16 attempted murders, 90 rapes and 1,136 burglary offences. It should be noted that these data provide intelligence, not evidence, suggesting the arrested persons as possible suspects.
	No estimate has been made of the number of matches an average crime scene would yield if there was a universal DNA database covering the whole UK population. The Government have made it clear on a number of occasions that it has no plans to introduce a universal compulsory, or voluntary, national DNA database or to seek to obtain a DNA sample from the entire population. No estimates have therefore been produced based on a universal database.
	(1) Sanctions include convictions and cautions (including reprimands and final warnings).

DNA Database

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of people whose DNA records are held on the national police database have  (a) a criminal record,  (b) been the subject of wrongful arrest and  (c) have been given a custodial sentence.

Joan Ryan: As at 30 June 2006, there were approximately 3,457,000 individuals with a DNA profile retained on the National DNA Database (NDNAD). This figure included 18,056 persons who had provided a DNA profile voluntarily. These figures were obtained from the NDNAD.
	Data on arrest and criminal histories are not held on the NDNAD. However, some data are available from the Police National Computer (PNC), but not for all of the individuals with a profile on the NDNAD. Data provided by the Police Information Technology Organisation (PITO) from the PNC indicate that, as at 14 July 2006, 2,922,624 persons on the NDNAD had an entry retained on PNC. The PNC entries relating to the other 534,000 individuals with a DNA profile on the NDNAD had been removed from the PNC for a number of reasons, for example, because they had not been convicted of an offence or because proceedings were discontinued.
	Of the 2,922,624 individuals with an entry on PNC, 2,317,555 have a conviction or caution recorded on the PNCi.e. have a criminal record. The difference between the two figures is attributed to: young persons aged under 18 who have a formal warning or reprimand recorded on the PNC (equivalent to a caution); persons who have been charged with a recordable offence and the proceedings are on-going; and persons who have been arrested for a recordable offence but no further action is taken.
	No data are held centrally on the number of persons with a DNA profile on the NDNAD who have been the subject of a wrongful arrest.
	Of the 2,317, 555 persons who have a conviction or caution, 636,271 (27percent) have had a custodial sentence.
	It is important to note that the data obtained from the PNC do not provide data for all of the individuals with a DNA profile on the NDNAD.

Energy Security

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent guidance has been issued to chief constables about enhancing the security of strategic energy facilities in their police force areas.

Tony McNulty: Details about the security measures taken to protect not only strategic energy facilities but all of the critical national infrastructure are not, and should not be, in the public domain.

EU Association Agreements (Businesses)

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many applications for the right of establishment in business under EU association agreements in ECAA switching cases, in total and by nationality of the applicant, were refused on the grounds that the applicant had used a standard-form business plan.

Liam Byrne: Information in the form requested is not available and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

False NI Documents

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people working on Home Office premises have been found to have false national insurance documents in each of the last five years.

John Reid: The information requested is not collected. All applicants for permanent posts in the Home Office are required to declare identity, address, criminal convictions, activities relevant to Home Office work, immigration status and previous employment history. Before appointment all applicants must produce a passport or other proof of identity/nationality/immigration status. Before being appointed to a permanent post, individuals must provide employers', academic and personal references covering the previous three years. Security clearance is required for all new staff. This includes a criminal record check. Particular areas of the Home Office run specific checks depending upon the nature of their business.
	As far as contractors and consultants are concerned, the responsibility for checking that they are able to work legally in the UK rests with their employers. However, in the core Home Office and the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) the immigration status of all staff, including those not directly employed, is checked against the IND databases.
	These checks do not include specific checks into the authenticity of national insurance documents. If, however, it emerged that an individual working for the Home Officeor working for the Home Office as a contractor, agency worker or consultant had false national insurance documents, a decision would be taken in consultation with the departmental security unit on whether to refer the matter to the police or Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs.

Firearms

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firearms have been seized in each of the last five years.

Tony McNulty: The requested data are not collected centrally.

Foreign Nationals (Visits)

Don Foster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment his Department undertook of the impact increased charges for foreign nationals to visit the UK from abroad would have on the UK's overseas tourism earnings before revised visa charges were introduced on 1 July 2005; and if he will make a statement.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	Revised visa charges were introduced on 1 July 2005 as part of a regular review of costs, which UKvisas are obliged to recover from visa applicants. As such, no assessment of the impact increased charges for foreign visitors might have on the UK's overseas tourism earnings was undertaken. UKvisas' statistics show that there was no downturn in demand following either of the previous two fee increases in 1995 and 2002.
	UKvisas met with tourism stakeholders on 27 June 2005 to explain why fee increases were necessary. It was also agreed that UKvisas would do an analysis covering July to September 2005 to assess whether the fee increases had any impact on visa application numbers. UKvisas' statistics show that, following the fee increases of 1 July, visa demand for the period 1-6 July 2005 continued at the same level of a 9 per cent. year-on-year increase as it had done for the six months immediately preceding the fee increase. There was therefore no immediate change in demand following the fee increases.
	Demand did however drop from 7 Julythe day of the London bombingsand was down 7 per cent. overall on 2004 for the July to September period. Non-family visits experienced the biggest fall in demand. A number of factors may have influenced the downturn including the bombings of 7 July. UKvisas does not rule out the possibility that increased visa fees were a factor but there is no conclusive evidence for this. Between November 2005 and March 2006 there was a slight decrease in demand compared with the same period in the previous year. By March 2006 demand had increased.

Foreign Prisoners

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many of the foreign prisoners released without consideration for deportation who were classified as  (a) most serious,  (b) more serious and  (c) other offenders have (i) committed further offences and (ii) been (A) detained and (B) deported, broken down by the type of offence for which they were originally convicted; and what type of further offence each committed.

John Reid: I refer the right hon. Member to the written ministerial statement of 29 June 2006,  Official Report, column 19WS. In this statement I explained that the director general of the immigration and nationality directorate (IND) had written to the Home Affairs Committee on 29 June providing the most accurate data available at that time. A copy of this letter has been placed in the Library of the House.
	This information was collated centrally and quality assured by the Department and is the most accurate and robust data currently available to the Department on the 1,013 individuals who were released without deportation consideration.

Foreign Prisoners

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will ask other countries to take their nationals who are prisoners in British prisons to complete their sentences in their home country.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The United Kingdom currently has prisoner transfer arrangements with 96 countries and territories. These arrangements require three-way consent; by the sentencing State, the receiving State, and the prisoner. The consent of the prisoner is a requirement of the Repatriation of Prisoner Act 1984 and, as a consequence, is reflected in our prisoner transfer agreements. The Government intends to introduce an amendment via the Police and Justice Bill to remove this requirement. If Parliament approves the amendment discussions will be held with relevant countries about renegotiating existing prisoner transfer agreements and the return of their nationals.

Fraud

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the feasibility of including lower and medium-sized fraud as a separate line item in the British Crime Survey; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The British Crime Survey (BCS) is a nationally representative survey of households in England and Wales. Its primary purpose is to estimate levels of crime committed against the population of private households and adults living in such households. As such, the survey cannot estimate crimes committed against those outside the scope of the survey, such as commercial and public sector bodies.
	Fraud is a complex area and difficult to measure in a self-report survey such as the BCS. On the one hand, some members of the public who had been victims of poor service may perceive themselves to have been de-frauded when this is not the case in law, whereas many of those who had been genuine victims of fraud may not be aware of the fact.
	However, a special module of questions has been included in the BCS in recent years focusing on credit and debit card fraud and internet fraud. Results have been reported in the Home Office Online Report 09/06 in 'Fraud and technology crimes: Findings from the 2003-04 British Crime Survey, the 2004 Offending, Crime and Justice Survey and administrative sources'.

Fraud

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what classification is used to analyse the incidence of fraud by  (a) amount of monetary loss and  (b) by police authority.

Tony McNulty: Data on the monetary loss due to fraud are not collected centrally by the Home Office. Data by police force area are collected for numbers of offences. The classifications collected under the fraud and forgery category are:
	Fraud by company director
	False accounting
	Cheque and credit card fraud
	Other frauds
	Bankruptcy and insolvency offences
	Forgery or use of false drug prescription
	Other forgery
	Vehicle /driver document fraud
	The latest information can be found in Home Office Statistical Bulletin number 12/06 'Crime in England and Wales 2005/06' available at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/hosbpubs1.html

Fraud

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what estimate he has made of the annual cost of  (a) overall fraud and  (b) fraud excluding large-scale fraud;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the cost of fraud  (a) outside the responsibility of the City of London Police and  (b) outside London in the last five years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Home Office commissioned research by consultants National Economic Research Associates (NERA), published in 2000, estimated the cost of fraud at 14 billion. It was recognised at the time that this was likely to be an underestimate, and six years on the figure is likely to be considerably higher. This figure was not broken down into large scale and other fraud, nor geographically.
	Home Office OLR 09/06 (http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs06/rdsolr0906.pdf) contains information about fraud, using data available from surveys of the public and from administrative sources. The information presented draws together various data collected by non-police sources to describe the trends in, and extent and type of fraud occurring in both the public and private sector.
	Annex A to the Fraud Review report, published on 24 July, summarised the various fraud measurement exercises currently undertaken.
	ACPO have commissioned work on this area which is currently being undertaken (managed by the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics Directorate), entitled 'The nature, extent and economic impact of fraud'. The broad aim of this research study is to assess and determine the nature, extent and economic impact of fraud across both the private and public sector in the UK. The study is critically reviewing existing estimates of fraud in different sectors. While this work may produce some UK-wide estimates on the costs of fraud, it is not intended that these estimates be seen as definitive due to the limitations of existing fraud data, both in terms of accuracy and coverage. Rather, the main aim of the work is to critically assess the availability and quality of existing evidence on fraud and recommend an appropriate strategy to facilitate the comprehensive and consistent recording of data on fraud in the future. The study reports later in the autumn.

Hit-and-Run Accidents

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many hit and run accidents there were in  (a) Southend,  (b) Essex,  (c) the Metropolitan police area of London and  (d) England and Wales in each year since 2004; in how many cases the drivers were taken to court and (i) fined, (ii) imprisoned and (iii) acquitted; and what percentage of fines remain unpaid.

Vernon Coaker: Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform and given in Tables A to D2 show the number of offences proceeded against by result for the offence of failing to stop after an accident under the Road Traffic Act 1988 section 170(4) for 2004 (latest available). 2005 data will be available early in 2007. Table E, provided by the Department for Transport, details data for those accidents classified as hit and run. Fines are collected by the court. However, the DCA are unable to break down fine payments by offence category.
	
		
			  Table A: Court proceedings for accident offences( 1)  within Southend-on-Sea magistrates court by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings 317 
			 Charges withdrawn/dismissed(2) 77 
			 Total findings of guilt 205 
			 Immediate custody(3) 9 
			 Fine 118 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s.9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).  (3) Includes Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences( 1)  dealt with by Essex police by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings 1,141 
			 Charges withdrawn/dismissed(2) 338 
			 Total findings of guilt 703 
			 Immediate custody(3) 41 
			 Fine 383 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s.9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).  (3) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences( 1)  dealt with by Essex police by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings for trial 11 
			 Acquitted 2 
			 Total findings of guilt 8 
			 Immediate custody(2)  
			 Fine 2 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences( 1)  dealt with by the Metropolitan police by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings 1,812 
			 Charges withdrawn/dismissed(2) 651 
			 Total findings of guilt 626 
			 Immediate custody(3) 34 
			 Fine 457 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s.9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).  (3) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table C2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences( 1)  dealt with by Metropolitan police by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings for trial 31 
			 Acquitted 5 
			 Total findings of guilt 24 
			 Immediate custody(2) 6 
			 Fine 7 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table D1: Proceedings at magistrates courts for accident offences( 1)  within England and Wales by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings 27,831 
			 Charges withdrawn/dismissed(2) 9,573 
			 Total findings of guilt 15,882 
			 Immediate custody(3) 540 
			 Fine 8,257 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes cases under Magistrates Courts Act 1980 s.9 (when court, after hearing the evidence, decide the defendant is not guilty).  (3) Includes sentences of Secure Training Order, Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table D2: Proceedings at the Crown court for accident offences( 1)  within England and Wales by result, 2004 
			   Number of offences 
			 Total proceedings for trial 515 
			 Acquitted 94 
			 Total findings of guilt 398 
			 Immediate custody(2) 58 
			 Fine 34 
			 (1) Aiding, abetting, causing or permitting accident offences under the RTA88 s.170(4).  (2) Includes sentences of Detention and Training Order, Young Offender Institution and unsuspended sentence of imprisonment.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: Court Proceedings Database held by RDS-OCJR. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table E: Personal injury road accidents involving at least one hit and run driver, 2004-05 
			   2004  2005 
			  Local authority (district)   
			 Southend-on-Sea 101 60 
			
			  County(1)   
			 Essex 767 518 
			
			  Police force code   
			 Metropolitan police 4,333 3,818 
			
			  Country   
			 England and Wales 22,784 21,405 
			 (1) Includes the two unitary authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.   Source:  Department for Transport.

Identity Cards

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the impact of the recently announced review of the Home Office on the overall cost of introducing the Identity Card Scheme  (a) in the next three years and  (b) after 2012.

Joan Ryan: Our commitment to the introduction of identity cards was reaffirmed in the Home Office Reform Action Plan, published on 19 July this year. The Government will lay before Parliament every six months a report on the likely cost of the ID cards scheme, as required by Section 37 of the Identity Cards Act 2006. The first of these reports will be published on 9 October 2006.

Identity Cards

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what he expects to be the first date on which UK citizens are issued with identity cards.

John Reid: Identity cards will be implemented as rapidly as possible, beginning with biometric residence permits for foreign nationals in 2008, and rolling out to UK nationals from 2009.

Identity Cards

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much his Department has spent on  (a) public opinion research and  (b) public relations contracts relating to identity cards in each of the last five years.

John Reid: holding answer 11 September 2006
	Spending over the last five years on public opinion research relating to identity cards has been as follows:
	
		
			
			 2002 5,200 
			 2003 92,502 
			 2004 83,980 
			 2005 0 
			 2006 0 
		
	
	The figures are exclusive of VAT.
	No spending has been incurred on public relations with regard to identity cards and no contracts have been entered into for this purpose.

Immigration Cases

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many unresolved immigration cases in  (a) Edmonton constituency and  (b) the London borough of Enfield have been awaiting determination for (i) over one year, (ii) over five years and (iii) over 10 years; what steps he is taking to deal with these cases; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Information is not readily available regarding the number of people living in  (a) Edmonton constituency and  (b) the London borough of Enfield who await a decision on their immigration status, and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Immigration Detention Centres

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average length of stay is at an immigration detention centre.

Liam Byrne: Statistics on the length of detention of persons leaving detention are published in the Quarterly Asylum bulletin. The latest published statistics cover those leaving detention during January to March 2006.
	Published editions of this bulletin and other information on immigration and asylum are available on the Home Office's Research Development and Statistics web site at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigration Detention Centres

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children are being held in immigration detention centres.

Liam Byrne: Quarterly snapshots are published showing the number of people detained under Immigration Act powers on the last Saturday of each quarter. Information on the number of persons detained is published in the Quarterly Asylum Bulletin, on the Home Office Research Development and Statistics Directorate website at http://www.homeoffice. gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html
	As at 24 June 2006, and rounded to the nearest five, there were 15 persons recorded as being under 18 detained solely under Immigration Act powers.
	Minors are detained only in two limited circumstances: first, as part of a family group whose detention is considered appropriate; second, when unaccompanied, while alternative care arrangements are made and normally just overnight.

Immigration Offence Prosecutions

Edward Leigh: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will give the name of every Minister in his Department who, since 18 May 1997, has been involved in any meeting, discussion or correspondence with any police force or with the Crown Prosecution Service in connection with the alleged misfeasance of a particular employer before a decision to prosecute that employer for any immigration-related offence was taken, together with the date of the meeting, discussion or correspondence, the identity of the police force concerned, the reasons why the Minister was involved, whether or not the employer was subsequently prosecuted and the result of the prosecution.

Liam Byrne: The information requested is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate costs.

Immigration Service

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to his oral statement of 25 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 735-52 on the Immigration Service, how many officials will constitute the uniformed presence he proposes; and at which  (a) ports and  (b) airports they will have a permanent presence.

John Reid: We intend to introduce uniforms for all operational frontline staff at ports and airports. Precise details of the ports and airports at which there is a permanent presence cannot be disclosed as this could provide information of value to those seeking to circumvent immigration controls, thereby prejudicing the prevention and detection of immigration offenders.

Immigration and Nationality Directorate

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many workers at the Immigration and Nationality Directorate  (a) are absent from work on full pay and  (b) have been for more than one month.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 18 September 2006
	Absence from work on full pay can occur for a number of reasonse.g. sick leave, maternity leave or jury service.
	No report is available from a single source which covers all absences in comparison with pay. This information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Inspector Balihar Singh

Mark Hunter: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will order a review of the criminal investigation of Inspector Balihar Singh of Greater Manchester police to ensure that the investigation was fair and free of racial discrimination;
	(2)  whether bringing misconduct offences against Inspector Balihar Singh is being considered;
	(3)  why Inspector Balihar Singh remains suspended from duty;
	(4)  what the cost was of the criminal investigation into the affairs of Inspector Balihar Singh.

Tony McNulty: This is a matter for the Greater Manchester police.

International Arrest Warrants

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home 
	(1)  Department pursuant to the answer of 2 May 2006,  Official Report, column 1416W, to my hon. Friend the Member for Milton Keynes, South-West (Dr. Starkey), on International Arrest Warrants, what progress has been made with the consideration of issues relating to the issue of arrest warrants; whether conclusions have been reached on whether changes to legislation are necessary; and what discussions he has had on this issue with foreign governments since 2 May 2006;
	(2)  what advice Ministers have received on proposals to amend the law to prevent individuals from applying for international arrest warrants.

Joan Ryan: We have not yet completed our consideration of the issue of arrest warrants in international cases. Any proposals to amend existing legislation would be laid before Parliament in the normal way. Officials from my Department have met the Minister Plenipotentiary from the Israeli embassy once since 2 May for discussions on this issue.
	Details of the advice received by Ministers are not generally disclosed because to do so could inhibit the free and frank provision of advice.

Manslaughter

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females were (i) prosecuted for and (ii) convicted of (A) murder and (B) manslaughter in England and Wales in 2005.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is currently unavailable. Data for 2005 will be available in the autumn.

Migration

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of likely net migration into the United Kingdom in 2006.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibilities of the National Statistician who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 9 October 2006:
	As National Statistician I have been asked to reply to your question regarding an estimate of likely net migration into the United Kingdom in 2006. (45988)
	The latest official national population projections were based on the population at the middle of 2004 and were published in October 2005. They made the following assumptions about future annual net migration into the United Kingdom:
	
		
			   Assumed net migration 
			 Mid-2005 to Mid-2006 +195,000 
			 Mid-2006 to Mid-2007 +170,000 
		
	
	Further information regarding the migration assumptions underlying the national population projections is available at: http://www.gad.gov.uk/Population/2004/methodology/migrass.htm.

Motoring Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females were convicted of motoring offences in (i) Southend, (ii) Essex and (iii) England and Wales in 2005, broken down by offence.

Vernon Coaker: Since it takes several months for court proceedings data to be received by the Home Office, 2005 data on official police action will not be available until early 2007.

Motoring Offences

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females committed offences in England and Wales under sections (i) 14 (3), (ii) 15(2) and (iii) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in 2005;
	(2)  how many  (a) males and  (b) females aged (i) 17 to 24, (ii) 25 to 30, (iii) 31 to 35, (iv) 36 to 40 and (v) over 40 years were (A) charged with and (B) convicted of (1) failing to comply with a road sign, (2) offences under sections (x) 14(3), (y) 15(2) and (z) 15(4) of the Road Traffic Act 1988, (3) failing to provide a breath specimen for analysis, (4) failing to stop for a police constable and (5) disobeying a police constable stopping traffic in (aa) Essex Police area and (bb) Southend Police area in 2005.

Vernon Coaker: Since it takes several months for court proceedings data to be received by the Home Office, 2005 data on official police action will not be available until early 2007. Information on drivers charged with motoring offences is not collected centrally. The information collected centrally on police action taken for motoring seat belt offences does not distinguish between the offence of driving/riding in a motor vehicle not wearing a seat belt (s14(3) of the Road Traffic Act 1988 (RTA)) and that of driving a motor vehicle with a child not wearing a seat belt (s15(2) and 15(4) RTA).

Motoring Offences

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to ensure the law on driving whilst using a mobile phone is enforced.

Vernon Coaker: Enforcement of this offence is an operational matter for the police. The likelihood of police detection is increased by the use of intercept teams linked to the expanded operation of Automatic Number Plate Recognition Systems. A clause in the Road Safety Bill currently before Parliament aims to increase penalties by making the offence subject to endorsement of three penalty points and a 60 fixed penalty.

Motoring Offences

Ben Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there were for driving whilst using a mobile phone in each police force area in the last year for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: Available information taken from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for the year 2004 (latest available) is given in the following table. As the majority of 'use of hand held mobile phone while driving' offences are dealt with by the issue of a fixed penalty notice these are also included.
	2005 data will be available early in 2007.
	
		
			  Fixed penalty Notices issued and total court proceedings for the offence of use of hand held mobile phone while driving( 1)  by police force area. England and Wales, 2004 
			  Number of offences 
			  Police force area  Fixed penalty notices issued  Total court proceedings( 2)  Total dealt with 
			 Avon and Somerset 1,902 19 1,921 
			 Bedfordshire 579 5 584 
			 Cambridgeshire 219 7 226 
			 Cheshire 2,689 2 2,691 
			 Cleveland 1,066 4 1,070 
			 Cumbria 528 24 552 
			 Derbyshire 978 17 995 
			 Devon and Cornwall 796 19 815 
			 Dorset 521 (3) 521 
			 Durham 504 1 505 
			 Essex 2,431 28 2,459 
			 Gloucestershire 632 1 633 
			 Greater Manchester 8,166 73 8,239 
			 Hampshire 2,032 18 2,050 
			 Hertfordshire 2,526 6 2,532 
			 Humberside 381 4 385 
			 Kent 1,707 (3) 1,707 
			 Lancashire 1,719 17 1,736 
			 Leicestershire 759 12 771 
			 Lincolnshire 1,529 9 1,538 
			 London, City of 137 7 144 
			 Merseyside 1,836 22 1,858 
			 Metropolitan Police 13,581 203 13,784 
			 Norfolk 887 20 907 
			 Northamptonshire 297 (3) 297 
			 Northumbria 1,271 32 1,303 
			 North Yorkshire 720 18 738 
			 Nottinghamshire 653 8 661 
			 South Yorkshire 1,978 12 1,990 
			 Staffordshire 264 11 275 
			 Suffolk 978 7 985 
			 Surrey 2,213 9 2,222 
			 Sussex 546 1 547 
			 Thames Valley 3,716 24 3,740 
			 Warwickshire 621 7 628 
			 West Mercia 2,200 17 2,217 
			 West Midlands 3,864 61 3,925 
			 West Yorkshire 2,368 11 2,379 
			 Wiltshire 700 21 721 
			 Dyfed Powys 363 13 376 
			 Gwent 517 (3) 517 
			 North Wales 999 3 1,002 
			 South Wales 1,603 16 1,619 
			 England and Wales 73,976 789 74,765 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 110 (1), 110 (2) and 110 (3). (2) Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court. (3 )Nil prosecutions.  Note:  Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Motoring Offences

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many fixed penalty notices have been issued for driving while using a hand-held mobile phone in each month since it became an offence;
	(2)  what the  (a) maximum,  (b) minimum and  (c) average penalty imposed for driving while using a hand-held mobile phone has been in each month since it became an offence.

Vernon Coaker: Information on motoring offence fixed penalty notices is collected from police forces on a calendar year basis only. Totals for year 2003 and 2004 (latest available) are given in Table A.
	Available information taken from the Court Proceedings Database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform for 2003 to 2004 (latest available) showing maximum, minimum and average penalty imposed by month is given in Table B. 2005 data will be available early in 2007.
	
		
			  Table A: Fixed penalty notices data for the offence of use of hand held mobile phone while driving( 1) ; England and Wales 2003-04 
			   Number of tickets 
			 2003 (2,3)1,900 
			 2004 (3)74,000 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction  Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 110 (1), 110 (2) and 110 (3). (2) Introduced as from 1 December 2003. (3) Only covers tickets paid where there is no further action. 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Court imposed maximum, minimum and average fine for the offence of use of hand held mobile phone while driving( 1,2) , England and Wales, 2003-04 
			of which: 
			  Year and month  Total number of fines( 3)  Maximum fine ()  Minimum fine ()  Average  fines () 
			  2003 
			 December 1 30 30 30 
			  
			  2004 596 400 20 69 
			 January 4 40 25 30 
			 February 3 50 40 47 
			 March 15 200 30 78 
			 April 25 150 30 59 
			 May 30 250 20 81 
			 June 62 200 25 63 
			 July 55 250 20 67 
			 August 61 300 20 77 
			 September 89 300 20 70 
			 October 83 200 20 64 
			 November 101 400 20 79 
			 December 68 250 25 60 
			 (1) Offences under the Road Vehicles (Construction  Use) Regulations 1986, Regulations 110 (1), 110 (2) and 110 (3) as from 1 December 2003. (2) Maximum sentence available at the magistrates court = L3 Fine (1,000). (3) Includes cases where fixed penalty notices were originally issued but not paid and subsequently referred to court.  Note: Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

National Offender Management Service

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which organisation is responsible for training probation staff under the National Offender Management Service arrangements.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Training is conducted on a number of levels within the National Probation Service, with some aspects of training being conducted on an area, regional and national basis. That which is undertaken in the local areas will not necessarily be subject to any changes as a result of the National Offender Management Service (NOMS) arrangements.
	The responsibility for national training currently rests with the National Probation Directorate (NPD). It is intended that this directorate will be merged into the NOMS during 2007 and responsibility for national training and training standards will become the remit of the Performance and Improvement Directorate. This transfer will not affect the NPDs current range of activities and it will at present retain the responsibility for national training across the National Probation Service.

Offences Against the Person Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females were (i) prosecuted and (ii) convicted in England and Wales of offences under sections (A) 4, (B) 5, (C) 9, (D) 17, (E) 22, (F) 24, (G) 29, (H) 30, (I) 32, (J) 33, (K) 34, (L) 35, (M) 36, (N) 57 and (O) 60 of the Offences Against the Person Act 1861 in 2005.

Vernon Coaker: The information requested is currently unavailable. Data for 2005 will be available in the autumn.

Parenting Orders

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many parenting orders have been  (a) applied for by local authorities and  (b) subsequently granted in each year since their introduction, broken down by local authority area.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Youth offending teams (YOTs) and local education authorities were given the power to apply for parenting orders through the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003.
	The Youth Justice Board has, since April 2004, collected the number of parenting orders applied for and subsequently imposed at court by youth offending team area as reported to it by YOTs. The YJB is currently reviewing the numbers of parenting orders for the period 2004-05 and 2005-06I will write to the hon. Member when the reviewed figures are available.
	Since September 2004, the Department for Education and Skills has collected data from local authorities on the number of parenting orders applied for and subsequently granted by the court by local authorities in the case of exclusion from school. Between 1 September 2004 and 31 December 2005 local authorities in England did not report any applications to the courts for parenting orders in the case of exclusions.

Parliamentary Questions

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he expects to answer questions  (a) 23519 tabled on 27 October 2005 and  (b) 32248 tabled on 15 December 2005 by the hon. Member for Yeovil.

Liam Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 5 September, printed on 11 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2225W.

Parliamentary Questions

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer Question  (a) 61153,  (b) 61154 and  (c) 61155 tabled by the hon. Member for Aylesbury, on the Immigration and Nationality Directorate, to which his Department gave a holding reply on 27 March.

Liam Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 3 August, printed on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, columns 1838-39W.

Parliamentary Questions

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer Question 67311 on foreign nationals detained at HMP Peterborough, tabled by the hon. Member for Peterborough on 26 April.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 15 June 2006
	I replied to the hon. Member on 29 June 2006,  Official Report, column 643W.

Parliamentary Questions

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer Question 76868, on Sakchai Makao, tabled by the hon. Member for Orkney and Shetland on 7 June.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 26 June 2006
	I replied to the hon. Member on 7 August, printed on 11 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1933W.

Parliamentary Questions

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer Question  (a) 58657, tabled on 9 March, on prisons,  (b) 64734, tabled on 18 April, on police force mergers,  (c) 65519, tabled on 19 April, on Gloucestershire Constabulary and  (d) (i) 67474, on foreign national prisoners, (ii) 67476, on Gloucestershire police, (iii) 67477, on foreign national prisoners and (iv) 67478, on foreign national prisoners, tabled on 26 April by the hon. Member for the Forest of Dean.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 29 June 2006
	I replied to the hon. Member as follows: Question 67476 on 8 September 2006,  Official Report, column 2435W; Questions 67477, 67478 and 67474 on 29 June 2006,  Official Report, column 643W.
	The hon. Member for Slough (Fiona Mactaggart) replied to question 58657 on 16 March 2006,  Official Report, column 2471W.
	The hon. Member for Harrow, East (Mr. McNulty) replied to question 64734 on 30 June 2006,  Official Report, column 884W and to Question 65519 on 29 June 2006,  Official Report, column 511W.

Parliamentary Questions

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will provide a substantive answer to question 79230 tabled on 21st June by the hon. Member for Totnes on human trafficking.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 18 July 2006
	I replied to the hon. Member on 14 August, printed on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1834W.

Parliamentary Questions

Jeremy Browne: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when he will answer question  (a) 59911, on staff contracts, tabled on 15 March and  (b) 74858, on human trafficking, tabled on 25 May by the hon. Member for Taunton.

Liam Byrne: I replied to the hon. Member on 3 August 2006, printed on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1786W.
	The hon. Member for Gedling (Mr. Coaker) replied to question 74588 on 29 August 2006, printed on 4 September 2006,  Official Report, column 1875W.

Passport Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints the Passport Agency has received in the last 12 months; and how many times it has paid compensation for error or maladministration in the last 12 months.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 25 July 2006
	During financial year 2005-06 the total number of complaints received by the UK Passport Service was 8,551, which equates to 0.13 per cent. of total business. The UK Passport Service paid compensation to members of the pubic on just under 3,400 occasions, representing 0.05 per cent. of total applications. The main reasons for compensation payments were for lost documents and photographs, a good number of which were almost certainly lost in transit and through no fault of UKPS. The total value of these payments was 129,000 relating to an average payment of just under 38.

Passport Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what systems have been established to improve staff efficiency in the Passport Agency in the last 12 months.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 25 July 2006
	The IPS has a policy of seeking continuous improvement in efficiency and quality and has a range of initiatives in place, including improvements in processes and workflow management. Initiatives aimed specifically at staff performance include a leadership development programme for senior and middle managers, a computer-based training and accreditation programme to assess and refresh the specialised knowledge of passport examiners, an award scheme to recognise and reward outstanding performers, and further development of individual performance objectives and development plans and performance appraisal arrangements.

Passport Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many passport applications have been refused because of errors on forms in the last 12 months.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 25 July 2006
	The issue of a passport is not refused on the grounds of an incorrectly completed form. In these circumstances, applicants are invited to correct the deficiency so that their application can be processed. About 12.5 per cent. of applications received by post or at passport office counters are incomplete or incorrect; the percentage falls to about 1.5 per cent. for applications received through the Post Office/Travel Agent Check and Send service.

Passport Agency

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many meetings Passport Agency staff have had with the Plain English Society in the past 12 months.

Joan Ryan: holding answer 25 July 2006
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) have held no meetings with the Plain English Campaign (PEC) in the past 12 months. The IPS are however lifetime affiliates to the PEC and the majority of its customer publications have been tested with the PEC as part of their production process. Indeed the passport application pack was awarded the PEC Crystal Mark in autumn 2005. In addition IPS customer service staff have attended training courses run by the PEC to further improve the standards of communication with customers.

Personal Documentation (Verification)

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 11 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 1785-6W, on personal documentation (verification), what the responsibilities are of police officers relating to the verification of personal documentation under the Money Laundering Regulations 2003.

Edward Balls: I have been asked to reply.
	Financial institutions and other firms in the regulated sector are responsible for the verification of the identity of their customers under the Money Laundering Regulations 2003. Police officers have no such responsibility in this regard.

Pharmaceuticals

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry's speech on protectionism at the German-British Chamber of Commerce annual dinner on 4 July 2006, how many jobs in the UK involve the licensed manufacture of opiate derivative analgesic medicines; and what estimate he has made of the number of jobs which will relocate overseas due to Government implementation of the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 6 September 2006
	No such estimates have been made.

Police

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 25 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 135-6W, on police; how many assaults per head of population there were on  (a) police officers and  (b) police community support officers in each constabulary in 2004-05; what assessment his Department has made of the reasons for the increase in the number of assaults on police officers since 2001; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: holding answer 18 September 2006
	Assaults on police community support officers are not identified separately by the Home Office in the recorded crime data. They are recorded under the more general category of common assault if no injury results. If injury is involved they are recorded under the appropriate section of the Offences against the Person Act 1861.
	Statistics of assaults on a constable and common assault (no injury) per 100,000 population by police force area for 2004-05 are given in the table.
	Changes in the counting rules and recording practices have affected the numbers of assaults on a constable recorded by the police. From 2002-03 assaults resulting in injury were recorded under the relevant section of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. At the same time the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) was introduced. The net effect saw an increase in assaults on a constable in 2002-03. Further changes in the counting rules occurred in 2003-04. Two offences not involving violence were removed from the coverage of assault on a constable. This reduced the number recorded for this particular offence. Numbers since have remained fairly steady with a small increase in 2004-05 and a similar decrease in 2005-06.
	
		
			  Recorded offences of assault on a constable and common assault per 100,000 population by police force area2004-05 
			   (104) Assault on a constable per 100,000 population  (105A+105B) Common assault per 100,000 population 
			 Avon  Somerset 48 500 
			 Bedfordshire 57 265 
			 Cambridgeshire 49 443 
			 Cheshire 31 690 
			 Cleveland 50 411 
			 Cumbria 44 344 
			 Derbyshire 13 130 
			 Devon  Cornwall 26 466 
			 Dorset 60 296 
			 Durham 47 371 
			 Dyfed-Powys 51 330 
			 Essex 40 191 
			 Gloucestershire 43 343 
			 Greater Manchester 42 244 
			 Gwent 50 201 
			 Hampshire 56 550 
			 Hertfordshire 57 341 
			 Humberside 50 507 
			 Kent 43 328 
			 Lancashire 61 484 
			 Leicestershire 52 492 
			 Lincolnshire 27 290 
			 London, City of ** ** 
			 Merseyside 57 370 
			 Metropolitan Police((1)) 47 901 
			 Norfolk 56 426 
			 Northamptonshire 51 330 
			 Northumbria 41 166 
			 North Wales 35 331 
			 North Yorkshire 45 238 
			 Nottinghamshire 57 241 
			 South Wales 58 176 
			 South Yorkshire 38 706 
			 Staffordshire 62 398 
			 Suffolk 59 278 
			 Surrey 47 200 
			 Sussex 46 349 
			 Thames Valley 39 318 
			 Warwickshire 46 262 
			 West Mercia 32 242 
			 West Midlands 14 126 
			 West Yorkshire 40 231 
			 Wiltshire 40 73 
			 Total 44 411 
			 ((1)) Includes City of London 
		
	
	
		
			  Recorded offences of assault on a constable per 100,000 population by police force area2005-06 
			  Police force area  Assault on a constable per 100,000 population 
			 Avon  Somerset 56 
			 Bedfordshire 50 
			 Cambridgeshire 58 
			 Cheshire 36 
			 Cleveland 52 
			 Cumbria 44 
			 Derbyshire 13 
			 Devon  Cornwall 20 
			 Dorset 42 
			 Durham 51 
			 Dyfed-Powys 42 
			 Essex 41 
			 Gloucestershire 52 
			 Greater Manchester 45 
			 Gwent 43 
			 Hampshire 51 
			 Hertfordshire 60 
			 Humberside 50 
			 Kent 44 
			 Lancashire 53 
			 Leicestershire 49 
			 Lincolnshire 29 
			 London, City of ** 
			 Merseyside 50 
			 Metropolitan Police((1)) 41 
			 Norfolk 49 
			 Northamptonshire 42 
			 Northumbria 44 
			 North Wales 28 
			 North Yorkshire 55 
			 Nottinghamshire 31 
			 South Wales 40 
			 South Yorkshire 33 
			 Staffordshire 60 
			 Suffolk 48 
			 Surrey 45 
			 Sussex 52 
			 Thames Valley 41 
			 Warwickshire 49 
			 West Mercia 25 
			 West Midlands 13 
			 West Yorkshire 39 
			 Wiltshire 22 
			 Total 41 
			 ((1)) Includes City of London

Police

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average band D police precept was in  (a) England and  (b) England and Wales in each year since 1997-98.

Tony McNulty: The information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  Average police precept (Band D) 1997-98 to 2006-07 
			   
			   England  England and Wales 
			 1997-98 55.09 54.74 
			 1998-99 59.32 59.19 
			 1999-2000 64.26 64.36 
			 2000-01 69.01 69.64 
			 2001-02 77.80 78.24 
			 2002-03 89.52 89.77 
			 2003-04 112.16 112.36 
			 2004-05 125.91 126.33 
			 2005-06 132.62 132.95 
			 2006-07 139.97 140.28 
			  Note: England figures exclude the City of London.   Source: Department for Communities and Local Government; and National Assembly for Wales

Police

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average salary is of a  (a) police inspector,  (b) chief inspector,  (c) police superintendent and  (d) assistant chief constable, broken down by region.

Tony McNulty: Information on average salary is not held centrally. Information on pay scales for all police ranks is available from the website of the Office of Manpower Economics at www.ome.uk.com. The following table details the ranks requested compiled from this source.
	
		
			  Pay Scales for Certain Police Officer Ranks from 1 September 2005 
			
			  Assistant Chief Constable 79,566 to 92,829 
			 Equivalent London ranks receive in addition London Allowance 4,338 
			 and London Weighting 1,995 
			   
			  Superintendent  
			 National 54,636 to 66,573 
			 London 60,969 to 72,906 
			   
			  Chief Inspector( 1)  
			 National 45,417 to 47,286 
			 London 47,229 to 49,095 
			   
			  Inspector( 1)  
			 National 41,034 to 44,508 
			 London 42,834 to 46,320 
			 (1) Chief Inspectors and Inspectors at the top of the scale for 12 months will have access to an additional competence related threshold payment of 1,062 per year. 
		
	
	South East England Allowance is paid in certain forces at the following rates:
	Essex, Herts, Kent, Surrey, Thames Valley: 2,000
	Bedfordshire, Hampshire, Sussex: 1,000

Police

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent by Dorset police in preparing for possible constabulary mergers.

Tony McNulty: At the Home Office's invitation, all the police forces and police authorities in England and Wales have submitted claims for the additional costs which they have incurred in preparation for police force amalgamations. In the case of the forces in the South-West region, a joint claim was submitted, covering Dorset, Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, for the sum of 140,836.

Police

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to compensate the Hertfordshire Police Force for the expenditure occasioned to it by his proposals to merge police forces.

Tony McNulty: At the Home Office's invitation, Hertfordshire police authority has submitted a claim for reimbursement of the additional costs incurred by the force in responding to the then Home Secretary's proposals for police force restructuring. The claim is for 144,327. All claims from police forces and police authorities in England and Wales have now been received by the Home Office and we expect to make an announcement shortly on how much of the claims will be reimbursed.

Pre-sentencing Reports

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether national standards apply to writing pre-sentencing reports.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Where a court requests a report from the National Probation Service prior to sentencing, an appropriate assessment will be made of the offender's risk of harm and the likelihood of re-offending, in order to inform the court of a clear and realistic proposal for sentence or remand.
	National standards for the Probation Service are published in the document National Standards 2005 copies of which can be obtained in the Library and at the following website address: http://www.probation.homeoffice.gov.uk/output/page32.asp#GuideWwO.
	The national standards specific to pre-sentence reports are SS2.5 to SS2.13. These are set out as follows.
	 National Standards 2005Pre-Sentence Reports
	 SS2.5
	Offenders will be offered at least one face-to-face interview (which can be made via a video link where this is available and appropriate) in order to inform the report.
	 SS2.6
	In all cases in which a report is requested, the National Probation Service will, as a minimum:
	obtain an OGRS score, giving a calculation of likelihood of reconviction;
	complete the OASys Risk of Harm screening tool;
	 SS2.7
	Unless the court directs otherwise, a full OASys assessment does not need to be completed if both of the following conditions are met:
	the risk of harm screening shows that a full risk of harm analysis is not required, and
	the OGRS score is less than 41
	 SS2.8
	Unless the court directs otherwise, a full OASys assessment will be completed if one or more of the following conditions are met:
	the risk of harm screening shows that a full risk of harm analysis is required;
	the OGRS score is 41 or over;
	the court has adjourned for a full report because of the seriousness of the offence;
	the offender is a locally defined prolific or other priority offender.
	 SS2.9
	Written reports to inform sentencing will:
	be based on the appropriate risk/needs assessment in accordance with SS2.6 to SS2.8;
	be objective, impartial, free from discriminatory language and stereotype, balanced, verified and factually accurate;
	only include information from the victim where it is drawn from the CPS papers or from a victim personal statement;
	satisfy the content, style and quality requirements defined in guidance by the National Probation Directorate;
	be completed using nationally approved report formats;
	be copied to the court, the defence, the defendant and (where required by section 159 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003) the prosecution.
	 SS2.10
	Reports will make a clear proposal for sentence (including custody) taking into account the seriousness of the offence, and the purpose of sentencing.
	 SS2.11
	Reports will make clear, in an outline sentence plan, what requirements are envisaged, including outline timescales, and how the sentence is likely to be implemented, including any plans for sequencing interventions.
	 SS2.12
	Reports will be prepared within the timescale set by the commissioning court.
	 SS2.13
	Where it has not been possible to complete a report for the court, for whatever reason, including non-attendance by the offender at interview, the report writer will notify the court at the earliest opportunity that a report will not be available for the hearing and submit in writing the reasons why the report has not been completed.

Prisons

Edward Garnier: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) remand prisoners and  (b) convicted prisoners died in custody in HMP Brixton (i) in each of the last nine calendar years for which figures are available and (ii) between 1 January and 13 July 2006; and what the cause of death was in each case in which no legal proceedings are outstanding.

Gerry Sutcliffe: holding answer 18 July 2006
	The number of all deaths at HMP Brixton in each year, 1997-2005, and between 1 January and 13 July 2006 is shown in the table.
	
		
			  Apparent cause of death( 1)  Legal status  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  203  2004  2005  2006 (to 13 July) 
			 Natural Causes Remand 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Natural Causes Sentenced 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Other non-natural(2) Convicted Unsentenced 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 
			 Self-inflicted(3) Convicted Unsentenced 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 2 0 0 
			 Self-inflicted Judgment Respited 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 
			 Self-inflicted Remand 0 1 3 1 1 0 1 0 1 2 
			 Self-inflicted Sentenced 2 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 (1) This column shows the apparent cause of death, as categorised by the National Offender Management Service (NOMS); this categorisation is not dependent on legal proceedings (i.e. inquest). (2) 'Other non-natural deaths include apparent accidental deaths (e.g. drug overdoses) (3) NOMS employs the term 'self-inflicted death' rather than suicide. This includes all deaths where it appears the individual has acted specifically to take their own life, and not only those that receive an 'open' or 'suicide' verdict at inquest

Prisons

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions he has had with A4E on pension rights for staff on the Offender Learning and Skills programme at HMP Standford Hill in Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prison Service officials have twice met A4E, in addition to extensive correspondence about pensions protection for staff who will be transferred from Standford Hill prison to A4E. The Government Actuary's Department and the Actuaries for the Principal Civil Service Pension Scheme are satisfied that A4E's pension scheme meets Government guidelines for such transfers as set out in the Treasury guidance A Fair Deal for Staff Pensions.

Prisons

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what proportion of women on reception at prison were assessed as  (a) being misusers of alcohol,  (b) being misusers of drugs,  (c) suffering mental ill-health and  (d) any one of these in each of the last three years for which figures are available;
	(2)  what proportion of women discharged from prison had intervention while in prison to address  (a) misuse of alcohol,  (b) misuse of drugs,  (c) mental ill-health and  (d) any one of these in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: No records are kept centrally of the number of women entering prison with drug, alcohol and mental health problems. Epidemiological studies however, show that:  (a) around 39 per cent. of sentenced women are classified as hazardous drinkers;  (b) for women on remand, 7 per cent. reported moderate drug dependence and 47 per cent. reported severe dependence;  (c) 90 per cent. of prisoners had at least one mental health disorder with 14 per cent. possessing severe disorders; and  (d) of women classed as hazardous drinkers, 77 per cent. had two or more mental disorders. For those assessed as drug dependent the equivalent figure was 75 per cent. There is limited information available on the proportion of women receiving interventions: records are not available centrally to show what proportion of women have had interventions to address the misuse of alcohol. Information on the number of drug treatment interventions is given in the table.
	
		
			  Women only establishments  Clinical interventions  CARATS( 1)  assessments  Drug treatment programme starts  Drug treatment programme completions  VDT (compacts agreed) 
			 2003-04 8,168 4,735 297 132 1,847 
			 2004-05 6,935 5,423 448 312 1,831 
			 2005-06 5,569 5,819 577 429 1,920 
			 (1) Counselling, assessment, referral, throughcare and treatment service. 
		
	
	Records are not available centrally to show what proportion of women on release have had interventions to address mental health problems.

Prisons

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average weekly cost was of detaining  (a) males and  (b) females in prison (i) on remand awaiting trial and (ii) after sentence in each of the last 10 years for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: HM Prison Service does not collect cost data in the format requested. Costs are collected at each individual establishment and across the prison estate and do not distinguish between sentenced and remand prisoners.

Prisons

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, column 414W, on prisons, which category of information requested would have incurred most cost to provide; and what information is held centrally on the number of prisoners released on licence from prisons.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The National Probation Service does not collate centrally information on the prisons from which offenders under supervision were released. The greatest costs in obtaining the information requested would have been incurred in requesting probation areas to examine all their case files and systems to determine which offenders had been released from prisons on the Isle of Wight to supervision on licence in their areas and had subsequently absconded while still under supervision on licence.
	Information is held centrally on the number of offenders under post-release supervision on licence. The figures are published in the Offender Management Caseload Statistics. Information is also held centrally on the number of offenders on licence in each probation area.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what training is provided to prison officers promoted to senior officer rank; whether any changes are planned; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: On promotion to senior officer (SO) rank, staff are invited to undertake the Introductory Certificate in Management. This programme is externally accredited through the Institute of Leadership and Management, and is specifically designed to meet the changing role of first line managers. SOs also undertake operational training to support their development in meeting the needs of their establishment and the Prison Service. All programmes are continually evaluated to ensure fitness for purpose. No imminent changes are proposed.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many non-prison staff participate in prison service audits; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  how many members of staff are employed in the Prison Service Standards Audit Unit; how many were so employed in 2001; and whether further recruitment is planned.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Specialist auditors employed by the Home Office conduct health and safety audits. Although only one auditor attends each audit, they are drawn from a pool of eight staff.
	There are currently 33 members of staff employed in the Prison Service standards audit unit. In 2001, 37 members of staff were employed in the unit.
	There are currently three vacancies and it is hoped that these will be filled shortly.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many high risk prisoners there are, as defined by the cell sharing risk assessment, in each prison establishment; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not recorded centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent on enhanced thinking skills courses by the Prison Service in each region in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The actual spend for the delivery of the enhanced thinking skills programme cannot be disaggregated from establishment baselines. However, the following table gives estimated figures based on delivery in prisons by region in the last three years, the period for which information is available. Spend between regions will vary depending on factors such as the volume of delivery, the delivery of other programmes, and the number of establishments.
	
		
			  Spend on enhanced thinking skills programmes in prisons by region 2003-06 
			  000 
			  Region  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 East of England 1,283 1,126 1,203 
			 East Midlands 1,888 1,758 1,639 
			 London 598 574 464 
			 North East 783 741 724 
			 North West 1,575 1,751 1,789 
			 South East 2,739 2,116 1,874 
			 South West 1,162 1,410 1,179 
			 Wales 486 484 493 
			 West Midlands 1,305 1,269 1,362 
			 Yorkshire and Humberside 1,333 1,267 1,166 
			 Total 13,152 12,498 11,893

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of staff claimed to have been bullied at work in each of the two most recent surveys of staff in HM Prison Service; and if he will make a statement.

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Prison Service has a written policy on bullying in the workplace.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The proportion of staff who stated they had been bullied at work in the 2004 and 2005 public sector Prison Service staff survey is shown in the following table.
	The results from each survey are considered by the Prison Service Management Board and disseminated to staff. Governors are responsible for developing and implementing a local action plan.
	Chapter 9 (Harassment and Discrimination Procedures) of Prison Service Order 8010 on equal opportunities sets out Prison Service policy on managing and dealing with bullying in the workplace. The Service's Professional Standards Statement makes it clear that discrimination, harassment, victimisation and bullying of any kind will not be tolerated.
	
		
			  Staff who had experienced bullying in the 12 months prior to the survey 
			   Percentage 
			 2004 18 
			 2005 19

Prisons

Susan Kramer: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the contents of the Tasker investigation commissioned by the Prison Service London area office will be made available to  (a) prison officers and  (b) former prison officers who have made allegations of bullying in the Prison Service.

Gerry Sutcliffe: It is not standard practice for the Prison Service to publish internal investigations. However, if requests are made for the report to be disclosed they will be considered in accordance with the Data Protection 1998, the Data Protection Code of Practice and the Freedom of Information Act relating to the handling and protection of personal data. The Commissioning Authority will determine whether a redacted or full copy of the report can be disclosed.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  whether the award of required hours addition allowance payments to non-operational staff by the Prison Service Area Manager for London constitutes a breach of PSO 1215 on staff wrongdoings; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the reasons are for non-operational grades in the Prison Service receiving required hours addition allowance payments; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prison Service staff are expected to meet high standards of professional and personal conduct as set out in PSO 1215.
	It is for area managers or governors to consider whether the role of non-operational staff in the Prison Service requires unpredictable and unsocial hours working. Where necessary, the award of required hours addition in such circumstances would not be considered a breach of PSO 1215.
	A Required Hours Addition (RHA) is paid in the Prison Service for jobs in manager paybands E, F, or G, whether operational or non-operational, where the role requires unpredictable and unsocial working hours. Reasons for the payment being made include a role where there is a requirement:
	for regular work outside usual office hours;
	to be on-call from time to time; and
	to work hours necessary for the efficient performance of duties.
	Area managers or governors may decide whether a role requires unpredictable and unsocial hours working which should attract the allowance.

Prisons

Greg Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Prison Service National Security Framework recommends regarding the sex of staff to be present in the search of an inmate receiving gender re-alignment treatment; what procedures exist for the inmate to object or make representations; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Prisoners undergoing gender reassignment treatment will normally be searched in accordance with their gender choice. Female prisoners are rub down searched by female officers and officers of either sex may rub down search males; an officer of the same gender as the prisoner will conduct a full search. Governors can authorise changes to these guidelines where necessary and agreed by prisoner and staff.

Prisons

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people are on licence from prisons in England and Wales.

Gerry Sutcliffe: At 31 December 2005 there were 25,271 people being supervised on licence by the probation service following their release from prison.
	These figures have been drawn from administrative IT systems. Although care is taken when processing and analysing the returns, the detail collected is subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system, and although shown to the last individual, the figures may not be accurate to that level.

Prisons (Northern Ireland)

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what plans he has to locate new prison facilities in Northern Ireland; and where they will be located.

Paul Goggins: I have been asked to reply.
	The Northern Ireland Prison Service has developed a comprehensive estate strategy that has identified the need for a second adult male prison offering modern efficient dispersal facilities to supplement the existing prison at Maghaberry.
	In September 2005 the Government announced that Magilligan Prison would be replaced, either on the existing site or on another suitable site in Northern Ireland. No decision has yet been made on the location.

Proscribed Organisations

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what additions have been made to the List of Proscribed Organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000 since the enactment of that Act; and what the reason was for each addition.

Tony McNulty: A total of 42 international terrorist groups, two domestic groups and 14 Irish groups are currently proscribed. There have been four orders to date. The first, proscribing 21 international organisations became effective in March 2001. The second, adding four more organisations, was in November 2002 after the bombings in Bali. The third was in October 2005, adding another 15 organisations to the list. The most recent order came into force on 26 July 2006 and added two organisations under the Terrorism Act 2000 and two organisations under powers introduced in the Terrorism Act 2006 for glorifying terrorism. The Irish groups were proscribed under the previous emergency legislation. A full list of proscribed organisations can be found at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/terrorism-and-the-law/terrorism-act/proscribed-groups
	A summary of the reasons for the proscriptions of each group were laid in Parliament at the time of each order in an explanatory memorandum.

Proscribed Organisations

Tom Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the process is for selecting groups for consideration for his Department's list of proscribed organisations.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Under part II of the Terrorism Act 2000 the Secretary of State may proscribe an organisation if he believes it to be concerned in terrorism. That is if it commits or participates in terrorist acts or if it prepares, promotes or encourages terrorism or is otherwise concerned in terrorism. The Terrorism Act 2006 added glorification of the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism to these criteria.
	There are other factors which the Secretary of State can take into account when deciding which groups should be added to the Schedule 2 list. These include the nature and scale of an organisation's activities, the specific threat that it poses to the UK or to British nationals and interests overseas, the extent of the organisation's presence in the UK and the need to support other members of the international community in the global fight against terrorism.
	The Secretary of State receives advice from a number of sources when making a decision including from a working group chaired by the Home Office and comprising representatives from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, security and intelligence agencies, police, Cabinet Office and Her Majesty's Treasury.

Proscribed Organisations

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the process is for selecting groups for consideration for his Department's proscribed terrorist list.

Tony McNulty: Under part II of the Terrorism Act 2000 the Secretary of State may proscribe an organisation if he believes it to be concerned in terrorism. That is if it commits or participates in terrorist acts or if it prepares, promotes or encourages terrorism or is otherwise concerned in terrorism. The Terrorism Act 2006 added glorification of the commission or preparation of acts of terrorism to these criteria.
	There are other factors which the Secretary of State can take into account when deciding which groups should be added to the Schedule two list. These include the nature and scale of an organisation's activities, the specific threat that it poses to the UK or to British nationals and interests overseas, the extent of the organisation's presence in the UK and the need to support other members of the international community in the global fight against terrorism.
	The Secretary of State receives advice from a number of sources when making a decision including from a working group chaired by the Home Office and comprising representatives from the FCO, security and intelligence agencies, police, Cabinet Office and HM Treasury.

Prostitution

Margaret Moran: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children under  (a) 16 and  (b) 18 years of age have been charged by police with engaging in prostitution in each of the last five years.

Vernon Coaker: Data from the court proceedings database held by the office for criminal justice reform on the number of children under  (a) 16 and  (b) 18 years of age who have been prosecuted at magistrates courts for engaging in prostitution in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004 can be viewed in the following table. 2004 data show the inclusion of a new list of some offences brought under the Sexual Offences Act 2003, which came into effect on 1 May 2004.
	
		
			  Number of children under (a) 16 and (b) 18 years of age proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating lo engaging in prostitution( 1)  in England and Wales, 2000 to 2004( 2,3) 
			  Age  2000( 4)  2001  2002  2003  2004( 3) 
			 10-15 1 1 2  2 
			 16-17 1 1 2   
			 (1) This includes parts of the following Acts: Sexual Offences Act 1956, Sexual Offences Act 1967. and Sexual Offences Act 2003. (2 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts, and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those date are used. (4 )Staffordshire police force were only able to submit sample data for persons proceeded against and convicted in the magistrates courts for the year 2000. Although sufficient to estimate higher orders of data, these data are not robust enough at a detailed level and have been excluded from the table. (5 )Data for 2004 include a list of some of the new offences under the Sexual Offences Act 2003  Source: RDS Office for Criminal Justice ReformOur net PO 206-06 House of Commons Number [90124]

Public Enquiry Office

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the outcome of the investigations into allegations about the Public Enquiry Office in Croydon was; and by which Department the subject of the investigations were employed.

John Reid: I refer the right hon. Gentleman to Mr. Gbedemah's report on the investigation into allegations about practices within the Public Enquiry Office in Croydon, which was published on 14 March.

Reoffending

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons convicted of  (a) murder and  (b) manslaughter in England and Wales were subsequently (i) charged with and (ii) convicted of murder or manslaughter following their release on licence in 2005.

Vernon Coaker: Available data for England and Wales are published annually on a financial year basis. Of offences recorded by police as homicide during 2004-05, there was one known homicide conviction where the suspect had previously been convicted of homicide and released.

Reoffending

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions in each of the last 25 years convicted murderers released from  (a) psychiatric institutions and  (b) prisons have committed murders after release.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information available centrally relates to homicides recorded by the police in England and Wales, and shows numbers of suspects convicted of these homicides after release or termination of sentence for a previous homicide conviction. The following table provides this information for each year since 1980. It is not possible to distinguish between sentences served in psychiatric institutions and prisons.
	
		
			  Suspects convicted of homicide after release or termination of sentence for previous homicide conviction( 1) 
			  Year offence initially recorded  Number of suspects 
			 1980 1 
			 1981 3 
			 1982 2 
			 1983 3 
			 1984 4 
			 1985 3 
			 1986 3 
			 1987 1 
			 1988 4 
			 1989 4 
			 1990 6 
			 1991 2 
			 1992 6 
			 1993 2 
			 1994 2 
			 1995 6 
			 1996 1 
			 1997 1 
			 1997-98 1 
			 1998-99 1 
			 1999-2000 5 
			 2000-01 1 
			 2001-02 0 
			 2002-03 1 
			 2003-04 1 
			 2004-05 1 
			 (1) As at 28 November 2005; figures are subject to revision as cases are dealt with by the police and by the courts, or as further information becomes available.

Responsible Drinking

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps his Department is taking to promote responsible drinking.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are working with the alcohol industry to develop a consistent sensible drinking message on labelling and point-of-sale. The first phase of the Know Your Limits campaign, which will promote sensible drinking to the 16-24 age group, will be launched on television in mid-October. The alcohol industry launched its own voluntary Social Responsibility Standards document last November and the Government have asked for a full report back on its implementation. This is expected shortly. Among other things, the standards encourage retailers to have a clear policy to implement the legal requirement not to sell to customers who are drunk or under age and to put in place internal disciplinary procedures to support this. A fourth Alcohol Misuse Enforcement Campaign was undertaken in the summer aimed at irresponsible drinkers and sellers. The Licensing Act 2003 has provided stakeholders with additional powers to help them deal with problem premises, and the Violent Crime Reduction Bill currently before Parliament will provide additional powers for stakeholders to enable them to deal with problems of alcohol misuse on the streets. Existing powers such as local authorities introducing Designated Public Places Orders (DPPOs), where it is then an offence to drink alcohol after being required by a police officer not to do so, can also help in dealing with problems of antisocial alcohol misuse. Details on introducing DPPOs can be found from the website at: www.crimereduction.gov.uk/alcoholorders/alcoholorders01.htm.

Restorative Justice

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what progress the Government have made with its plans to introduce restorative justice; and if she will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government strategy is to encourage, without requiring, the use of adult restorative justice while we continue to develop the evidence base to show how it works best for adults, particularly in relation to its impact on re-offending. But we strongly support its use as a service to victims as there is consistent evidence to show that it delivers high levels of victim satisfaction. Best practice guidance for practitioners was issued in December 2004 and guidance on setting up adult restorative justice schemes was issued to Local Criminal Justice Boards in March 2005. Restorative justice may be delivered at any stage of the criminal justice system and we are, for example, encouraging its use under the recently introduced conditional caution. Restorative justice has been a central part of the youth justice system since the Crime and Disorder Act 1998 and victim contact or reparation can be part of all youth justice disposals.

Road Traffic Act

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) males and  (b) females in (i) Essex and (ii) England and Wales were (A) prosecuted for and (B) found guilty of an offence under (1) sections 22 and 22A, (2) section 27, (3) sections 28 and 29, (4) section 30 and (5) section 41A of the Road Traffic Act 1988 in 2005.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is currently unavailable. Data for 2005 will be available in the autumn.

Rural Crime

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) burglaries,  (b) offences involving violence against the person,  (c) sexual offences and  (d) car and property crimes there were in rural areas in 2005-06.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is given in the following table. The figures cover the 13 police force areas designated as either 'most rural' or 'least rural' according to 'A Classification of Residential Neighbourhoods (ACORN)'. The 13 forces are: Cambridgeshire, Cumbria, Devon and Cornwall, Durham, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, North Yorkshire, North Wales, Suffolk, West Mercia and Wiltshire. Further details regarding ACORN classifications are given in Appendix B of Home Office Statistical Bulletin 01/02 entitled 'Rural Crime'. A copy of this publication is available on the Home Office website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs2/hosb102.pdf
	
		
			  Table 1: Recorded crime in rural areas2005-06 
			  Offences  Number of offences 
			 Burglary 85,488 
			 Violence against the person 153,205 
			 Sexual offences 10,188 
			 Vehicle crime 80,539 
			 All property crime 579,156

Science Applications International Corporation

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what meetings took place between  (a) Ministers and  (b) officials of his Department and representatives of Science Applications International Corporation between January 2003 and December 2004.

Tony McNulty: A review of Management Information Systems has identified that no Ministers met with representatives of SAIC during the dates specified. It is not possible to identify the number of meetings that officials held with the company in managing their contract without incurring disproportionate costs.

Scottish Criminal Records Office

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, column 76W, on the Scottish Criminal Records Office, if he will place in the Library a copy of the Association of Chief Police Officers National Fingerprint Board document dated 4 April entitled Erroneous and disputed identifications: Learning from experience elsewhere; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: I shall arrange for a copy of the document to be placed in the Library.

Security Passes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security passes his Department has issued in each of the last five years.

John Reid: The Home Office has issued approximately 45,000 security passes since January 2001 to date. An annual breakdown is not available.

Security Passes

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many security passes issued by his Department have been recorded as  (a) lost and  (b) stolen in each of the last five years.

John Reid: The number of Home Office passes recorded as lost or stolen in the last five years is as follows:
	
		
			   Number of passes lost or stolen 
			 2001 64 
			 2002 138 
			 2003 291 
			 2004 321 
			 2005  
			 lost 292 
			 stolen 18 
			 2006 (as at 27 July) 163 
			 lost  
			 stolen 5

Sentencing

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many women were sentenced to a term of imprisonment of  (a) any length,  (b) no more than six months and  (c) no more than one month in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested, for England and Wales, is contained in the following table.
	Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile such figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system.
	Consequently, although the figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.
	We have started a programme of work in the Home Office looking at the quality of existing court sentencing data and how this might be improved
	
		
			  Women sentenced to immediate custody at all courts, England and Wales, 2002-04 
			  Persons 
			  Sentence length  2002  2003  2004 
			 6 months or less 6,291 6,323 6,211 
			 Of which, less than 6 months 5,734 5,787 5,686 
			 Of which, 1 month or less 1,742 1,787 1,785 
			 Of which, less than 1 month 1,098 1,202 1,261 
			 Total women sentenced to immediate custody 8,831 8,810 8,754 
			  Note: Although care is taken in collating and analysing the returns used to compile these figures, the data are of necessity subject to the inaccuracies inherent in any large-scale recording system. Consequently, although figures are shown to the last digit in order to provide a comprehensive record of the information collected, they are not necessarily accurate to the last digit shown.   Source:  RDS NOMS 26 Jul 06

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 31 July 2006 to Question 88186 what arrangements are in place for the  (a) reporting and  (b) accountability of the chair of the Serious Organised Crime Agency to (i) Ministers and (ii) Parliament; and if he will make a statement.

Vernon Coaker: The Chair of the Serious Organised Crime Agency (SOCA) is appointed by the Home Secretary under section three of Schedule one, Part one of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005.
	The Chair of SOCA has reported on a regular basis, usually monthly, to the Minister for Policing, Security and Community Safety and reported to the Home Secretary on a quarterly basis. It is expected that these meetings will resume once Parliament is back in session.
	A copy of SOCA's overarching framework document was placed in the Libraries of both Houses of Parliament on 29 June 2006. Section 7(6) of the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act 2005 requires the Secretary of State to lay a copy of SOCA's annual report before Parliament.

Serious Organised Crime Agency

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 1 August 2006 to Question 88238, whether the briefing Sir Stephen Lander, Chair of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, gave to the Guardian newspaper and published on 1 April represents Government policy.

Vernon Coaker: Comments made by the Chair and Director General of the Serious Organised Crime Agency, around the time of its launch, relate to matters within their discretion, but are in line with the Government's intentions when setting up the Serious Organised Crime Agency.

Sex Offenders

John Austin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many places in approved hostels in England and Wales are occupied by persons convicted of sexual offences  (a) on licence and  (b) as a condition of a community penalty.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Statistical information about the type of offences committed by offenders residing in Approved Premises is not collected centrally.

Sex Offenders

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many sex offenders from the Isle of Man have subsequently committed similar offences in England in each year since 1997; and how many of those had been issued with supervision orders in the Isle of Man.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is not available centrally.
	The most recent national information on two year re-offending rates of adults in England and Wales was published in December as Adult re-offending: results from the 2002 cohort. Home Office Statistical Bulletin 25/05'. The report is available on line at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/pdfs05/hosb2505.pdf and covers offenders starting community sentences or being discharged from prison in England and Wales in the first quarter of 2002.
	This information is not available on a sub national basis.

Soliciting

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department on how many occasions the charge of soliciting has been applied to people under the age of 18 years in each of the last five years, broken down by  (a) age and  (b) sex.

Vernon Coaker: Data on charging are not collected, however information from the court proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform showing the number of defendants aged 10-17 proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for soliciting offences, broken down as requested, is provided in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of persons aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences related to soliciting, by sex and ageEngland and Wales, 2000-04( 1, 2) 
			  Males 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Offence/age  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Offence: Man soliciting or importuning in a public place for immoral purposes 
			  Statute: Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.32 
			 10   
			 11   
			 12   
			 13   
			 14   
			 15   
			 16   
			 17   1 1   
			 Total   1 1   
			
			  Offence: Persistent soliciting of women for the purpose of prostitution 
			  Statute: Sexual Offences Act 1985 S.2 
			 10   
			 11   
			 12   
			 13   
			 14   
			 15   
			 16 1  
			 17 11  
			 Total 111  
			
			  Offence: Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution 
			  Statute: Street Offences Act 1959 S.1 
			 10   
			 11   
			 12   
			 13   
			 14   
			 15 1  
			 16   
			 17 1  
			 Total 2  
		
	
	
		
			  Females 
			   2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Offence/age  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			  Offence: Man soliciting or importuning in a public place for immoral purposes 
			  Statute: Sexual Offences Act 1956 S.32 
			 10   
			 11   
			 12   
			 13   
			 14   
			 15   
			 16   
			 17   
			 Total   
			
			  Offence: Persistent soliciting of women for the purpose of prostitution 
			  Statute: Sexual Offences Act 1985 S.2 
			 10   
			 11   
			 12   
			 13   
			 14   
			 15   
			 16   
			 17   
			 Total   
			
			  Offence: Common prostitute loitering or soliciting for the purpose of prostitution 
			  Statute: Street Offences Act 1959 S.1 
			 10   
			 11   
			 12   
			 13   
			 14 1 1   1  
			 15 3 1 2 1   
			 16 3 1 2  2 1 1 1 1  
			 17 36 20 10 6 13 5 3 2 5 3 
			 Total 43 23 14 7 15 6 4 3 7 3 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be take to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when these date are used.   Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform.

Special Advisers

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the dates of employment are of each special adviser employed in his Department.

John Reid: The dates of employment of the three Home Office Special Advisers are as follows:
	Steve Bates6 May 2006
	Justin Russell6 June 2006
	Anna Macmillan21 June 2006

Tagging

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the estimated cost was of the electronic tags and tagging system in each year since 2001.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The annual cost of electronic monitoring in England and Wales in each financial year since 2001-2002 is shown in the table:
	The current contracts, which commenced on 1 April 2005, have provided a saving of about 40 per cent. during 2005-06.
	
		
			   Annual cost ( million) 
			 2001-02 37.8 
			 2002-03 64.0 
			 2003-04 77.5 
			 2004-05 102.3 
			 2005-06 59.6

Thames Valley Police

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to strengthen Thames Valley Police officer numbers.

Tony McNulty: It is a matter for the Chief Constable in consultation with the police authority to decide the number of staff employed by the Thames Valley Police. At the end of March 2006 the force had 4,229 police officers, an increase of 534, or 12.6 per cent. since 1997. In addition police staff numbers have increased by 930 over the same period to 2,755 in March 2006. The force also had 130 Police Community Support Officers in March.
	Thames Valley Police is benefiting from additional Government funding from the Neighbourhood Policing Fund (NPF) to increase the number of Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs). With support from the NPF the Thames Valley Police has a target of 417 PCSOs by April 2007.

Theft Act

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what guidance his Department has issued to police authorities on  (a) prosecuting and  (b) recording incidents covered by section 3, on 'making off without payment', of the Theft Act 1978; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Home Office Counting Rules contain the rules by which police forces in England and Wales count and classify crimes. The Rules are revised annually and the latest version was published on 1 April 2006. The current Rules include the following wording regarding the recording practice for 'making off without payment offences':
	Where a victim or their representative reports a making off without payment from a garage forecourt, the incident will be recorded in accordance with the basic principle of NCRS. Previous intelligence in respect of the vehicle or occupants, together with the current information may help to determine if, on the balance of probabilities, the making off without payment is as the result of a criminal act as defined by law.
	The Crown Prosecution Service have responsibility for prosecuting these offences and make decisions in accordance with the guidance issued to Police Officers and Crown Prosecutors by the Director of Public Prosecutions.

Theft Act

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions have been made under section 3, on 'making off without payment', of the Theft Act 1978 in the Humberside Police Authority area in each of the last nine years; and if he will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Data from the Court Proceedings database held by the Office for Criminal Justice Reform on the number of defendants prosecuted at magistrates court, under section three, on 'making off without payment', of the Theft Act 1978 in the Humberside Police Authority, 1996 to 2004 are contained in the following table.
	Statistics for 2005 court proceedings will be available in the autumn of 2006.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences relating to section 3 of the Theft Act 1978 in Humberside police force area, 1996 to 2004( 1,2) 
			   Prosecuted 
			 1996 37 
			 1997 25 
			 1998 17 
			 1999 19 
			 2000 28 
			 2001 21 
			 2002 20 
			 2003 20 
			 2004 31 
			 (1) These data are on the principal offence basis.  (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.   Source:  RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform.

Trials Abroad

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what support the Government have provided for the three former employees of Nat West in securing a fair trial in the United States.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	We are offering the same level of consular support to the so-called Nat West Three that any other British national facing trial in the United States would receive. While our role is primarily a welfare one, we do provide information about the local legal system and lists of local lawyers. We have no reason to believe that the trial will not be conducted in accordance with international standards of fairness. We do consider making representations if a trial of a British national abroad does not meet those international standards. However, we cannot ask for any special treatment for British nationals and we cannot interfere in another country's judicial system.

Under-age Drinking

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many prosecutions there have been for the sale of alcohol to minors in  (a) licensed and  (b) off-licence premises in each of the last 10 years.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The information requested is provided in the table. It is not possible to identify whether the prosecutions relate to licensed or off-licence premises as the data held centrally are not collected at that level of detail.
	Data for 2005 will be available in November.
	The offence of sale of alcohol to a person under 18 can attract a penalty notice for disorder (PND). The offence was added to the PND scheme on 1 November 2004, and there were 113 Penalty Notices issued for the offence in November and December of that year. Provisional data for 2005 show that a further 2,009 penalty notices were issued for the offence in 2005.
	
		
			  Number of defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences related to the sale of alcohol to persons under 18, England and Wales 1995-2004( 1,2) 
			  Offence description  Principal statute  Year  Proceeded against  Found guilty 
			 Selling etc. intoxicating liquor to person under 18 for consumption on the premises Licensing Act 1964 S. 169 A  B as added by Licensing (Young Persons) Act 2000 S.1
			   1995 198 108 
			   1996 251 119 
			   1997 214 125 
			   1998 310 157 
			   1999 204 115 
			   2000 130 56 
			   2001 155 53 
			   2002 168 105 
			   2003 604 416 
			   2004 836 590 
			 Wholesaler selling intoxicating liquor to person under 18 Licensing Act 1964 S.181 A(1) as added by Licensing Act 1988 S.17
			   1997 1 1 
			   1998 1 1 
			   1999 1 0 
			   2000 2 0 
			   2001 3 0 
			   2002 2 0 
			   2003 12 3 
			   2004 5 3 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis. (2) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.  Source: RDSOffice for Criminal Justice Reform

Under-age Drinking

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) licensed and  (b) off-licence premises have lost their licences due to the sale of alcohol to minors in each of the last 10 years.

Shaun Woodward: I have been asked to reply.
	This information is not held centrally.
	Statistical returns recording on and off-licensed premises operating under the terms of the Licensing Act 1964 (the 1964 Act) are collated and published every three years. Accordingly, between 1996 and 2006, statistics are only available for the years 1998, 2001 and 2004. The number of on and off-licences revoked or not renewed for any reason are as follows:
	
		
			  Licences revoked 1998 to 2004 
			  Year to 30 June  On-licensed premises  Off-licensed premises  Total 
			 1998 215 102 317 
			 2001 132 51 183 
			 2004 273 81 354 
		
	
	These licences would have been revoked or not renewed by the licensing justices for a variety of reasons, including sales to persons under 18. Reasons for each decision are not recorded.
	The Licensing Act 2003 came into force on 24 November 2005 and replaced on and off-licences issued under the 1964 Act with a new system of personal licences to sell alcohol and a separate licence for premises. Statistics for revocations of licences, under the new system, are not currently held centrally; information should however be available from local licensing authorities.

Under-age Sex

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many cases of unlawful sexual intercourse with a person aged under 16 years were  (a) reported,  (b) the subject of a caution and  (c) prosecuted in (i) the 12 months prior to and (ii) each 12 month period since June 2004.

Liam Byrne: Data on the number of offenders cautioned, defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts and found guilty at all courts for offences related to unlawful sexual intercourse are provided in the following table. Data for 2003 and 2004 have been given because these are the two most recent 12 month periods for which data are available.
	Court proceedings data for 2005 will be available in the autumn.
	Figures for reported crime are not collected centrally. Data are provided for recorded crime available on a financial year basis. The recorded crime statistics are based on offences and the court proceedings statistics are based on persons. As a result the two datasets are not directly comparable.
	The introduction of the Sexual Offences Act 2003, in May 2004, created a number of new offences which identified the age group of the victim.
	As a result, the recorded crime and court proceedings data provided are not comparable year on year.
	
		
			  Number of offenders cautioned and defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts for offences related to unlawful sexual intercourse with persons aged under 16, England and Wales 2003-04( 1,2,3) 
			   Offenders cautioned  Proceeded against 
			 2003 253 305 
			 2004 206 387 
			 (1) These data are provided on the principal offence basis.  (2) Data include offences of unlawful sexual intercourse with persons aged under 16 and persons under 13, as well as buggery by a male with a male under 16. Buggery offences include non-consensual buggery as well as consensual buggery.  (3) Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the police forces and courts. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used.

Violent Crime

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many violent crimes were recorded in each year since 1990, broken down by police force area.

Tony McNulty: The information requested is given in the tables, a copy of which will be placed in the Library. Since 1990, there have been two major changes to the way in which crime is recorded. The effect of the extended coverage and the change in counting rules in 1998 was to artificially increase recorded violent crime nationally by more than 80 per cent while it is estimated that the effect of the introduction of the National Crime Recording Standard (NCRS) in April 2002 caused a further 20 per cent increase in recorded violent crime in its first year.

Websites (Suicide)

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what action he is taking to tackle websites that promote suicide; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Government take this difficult problem seriously and is taking a range of non-legislative steps to tackle it, including raising awareness of the potential dangers of suicide websites being accessed by vulnerable people; encouraging search engine companies to ensure that search results give prominence to sites offering help and support to people contemplating suicide; and working with Internet Service Providers to discourage them from hosting sites which may encourage suicide. The Department of Health is also continuing to explore what more non-legislative action might be possible in the context of their Suicide Prevention Strategy.
	At the Government's request, the Law Commission has considered the law as it applies to suicide websites as part of their work on participation in crime. Although they conclude (in Annex B to their report Inchoate Liability for Assisting and Encouraging Crime, published on 11 July and available on their website (www.lawcom.gov.uk)) that the contemporary problems posed by suicide websites and other involvements in suicide can be adequately addressed without reform to section 2 of the Suicide Act, they recommend that the language of the legislation could be updated, and that consideration should be given to applying their proposed extra-territorial jurisdiction provisions to the offence of assisting suicide. We will consider these recommendations carefully.

Widespread Education Campaign

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer to parliamentary question 81979, how much was spent on the widespread education campaign, broken down  (a) geographically and  (b) by campaign element.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 13 September 2006
	The Government are taking forward, on an ongoing basis, a wide range of activities to warn young people of the harms of drugs, including cannabis. This includes: the FRANK campaign, which has been running since 2003. Last year over 6 million was spent on supporting the campaign including the helpline, website, leaflets and communications. Every day, FRANK answers over 1,000 calls and has 15,000 website hits. Cannabis information is the most popular reason for contacting FRANK. This year we will increase our investment with a further 2.75 million to increase cannabis messages. In addition, the Government have produced the 'Understanding Drugs' pack which is a teacher and pupil information pack, available to every secondary school in England. The total cost of producing this pack was 230,000.
	The Government have also produced a range of education materials focusing on the impact of cannabis on mental health. This includes a Mental Health Toolkit for mental health practitioners and information materials for young people produced by Young Minds. The total cost of producing these materials was 258,000. All of these activities are England-wide initiatives. However, the Department of Health is responsible for disseminating the Mental Health Toolkit to practitioners, and it is planning some regional events which are not yet finalised.

Wildlife Crime

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether wildlife crime is addressed in Home Office advice on sentencing.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Home Office has not issued any advice on sentencing for wildlife offences.

Wildlife Crime

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the average sentence has been in each of the last five years in respect of convictions for  (a) egg collecting,  (b) the use of poison to kill or attempt to kill protected species and  (c) illegal possession of proscribed pesticides.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Figures reported to the Home Office on persons dealt with for  (a) egg collecting and  (b) the use of poison to kill or attempt to kill protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 cannot be accurately identified on the Home Office Court Proceedings database. Statistics on  (c), illegal possession of proscribed pesticides, cannot be separately identified in the statistics collected centrally. We have started a programme of work in the Home Office looking at the quality of existing court sentencing data and how this might be improved.

Wildlife Crime

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps are being taken to ensure effective action to deter wildlife crime.

Vernon Coaker: The Government promotes and encourages wildlife law enforcement through the Partnership for Action Against Wildlife Crime (PAW)a multi-agency body comprising representatives of the statutory and voluntary organisations with a role in wildlife law enforcement. PAW has ensured strong cooperation and coordination between all the bodies involved in wildlife law enforcement in the UK. In addition there is also the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU).

Worker Registration Scheme

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, column 423W, on the worker registration scheme, how many workers from EU accession countries currently legally working in the UK are exempt from the requirement to register under the Worker Registration Scheme because  (a) they have been working for 12 months or more,  (b) they are working in a self-employed capacity,  (c) they are working for less than 30 days and  (d) any other relevant category; and if he will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Workers in these categories are exempt from the need to register under the Worker Registration Scheme and as such the Government do not hold figures on their numbers.

Young Offenders

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many children have been kept in penal custody in each of the last three years; what proportion of children so held had  (a) some form of mental health problem,  (b) a history of having been in care,  (c) literacy levels below the average for their age,  (d) no educational provision,  (e) reported experience of violence at home and  (f) reported suffering from sexual abuse.

Fiona Mactaggart: The information regarding the numbers of children under the age of 18 who are held in custody is provided in the following table. All children in penal custody below statutory school leaving age have access to educational provision regarding  (a) to  (c) and  (e) and (f). Information on these is not held centrally and could not be obtained without disproportionate cost, although research in these areas is published in Annex D of the Social Exclusion Unit report Reducing re-offending by ex-prisoners.
	
		
			  Young persons population in custody at 30 June 2003-05 
			   2003  2004  2005 
			 Local authority secure children's homes 327 267 237 
			 Secure training centres 183 181 248 
			 Prison establishments 2,253 2,274 2,310 
			  Source: RDS-NOMS monthly briefs.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Agricultural Subsidies

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the concessions on agricultural subsidies in the latest Doha trade talks offered by  (a) the EU and  (b) the US.

Ian McCartney: Negotiations on the Doha Development Agenda were suspended on 24 July by the Director General of the World Trade Organisation, Pascal Lamy. This suspension was due to a failure to reach agreement in the negotiations on the agriculture dossier, including on agricultural domestic support, on which neither the US or EU have made a new offer since October 2005. The UK Government remain committed to achieving an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the DDA, and we hope that the negotiations can be restarted at the earliest opportunity.

Annual Reports

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many staff in his Department did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The number of staff in the Department who did not achieve an acceptable mark in their annual report in each of the last three years; and what percentage this represented of the total number of staff in each case, is listed in the following table:
	
		
			  Financial year  Number of unacceptable box markings awarded  Percentage of total number of staff 
			 2003-04 3 0.06 
			 2004-05 0 0 
			 2005-06 4 0.10 
		
	
	These figures represent the numbers of staff who were given an unacceptable box marking under formal inefficiency proceedings. Unacceptable performance has to be addressed as soon as it occurs rather than waiting for the appraisal cycle to complete. Central records record cases of poor performance current at the end of the appraisal year.

Art Market

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the implications for the UK art market of the implementation of EU Directive 2001/84/EC (Artists' Resale Right (Droit de Suite)).

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 13 July 2006,  Official Report, column 574W, which read:
	To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, what assessment she has made of the impact of Droit de Suite on (a) the London and (b) the British art market; and if she will make a statement.
	A study into the potential impact on the British art market was carried out prior to the implementation of the directive introducing Droit de Suite. The report of its findings and the regulatory impact assessment which was prepared during the implementation are available on the Patent Office website. This study did not consider the London art market separately.
	A further study is being commissioned to assess the actual impact following our implementation of the directive. This will be undertaken during 2006-07.

Assisted Areas

Chris Ruane: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what changes have been made to the assisted area map for Wales in the last 30 years.

Margaret Hodge: The information requested is not held centrally but assisted areas coverage is set out in the Industrial Development Act 1982 Annual Reports available from the Libraries of the House.

Bankruptcy

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people were declared bankrupt in  (a) 2000-01,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2002-03,  (d) 2003-04 and  (e) 2004-05, broken down by those aged (i) under 20, (ii) 21 to 25, (iii) 26 to 30, (iv) 31 to 35, (v) 36 to 40 and (vi) over 41 years.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Official bankruptcy statistics are not routinely analysed by age and to provide the information on the age groups requested would incur disproportionate cost. However, the Insolvency Service published the report Characteristics of a bankrupt in March 2006 which included an analysis of bankruptcies in England and Wales by broad age groups for the financial years 2001-02 to 2004-05 and is available here:
	http://www.insolvency.gov.uk/insolvencyprofessionandlegislation/policychange/cob.pdf.
	The relevant statistics are summarised in the following table. Equivalent statistics for 2000-01 are not available.
	
		
			   Bankruptcy Orders by Age 
			   No Age Recorded  18 to 29  30 to 39  40 to 49  50+  Total (where age is recorded) 
			 2001-02 1,857 1,681 7,083 6,664 6,102 21,530 
			 2002-03 1,847 2,496 7,683 6,898 6,202 23,279 
			 2003-04 1,826 4,116 9,076 7,857 6,767 27,816 
			 2004-05 2,634 6,520 11,253 9,073 8,006 34,852

Bankruptcy

James Paice: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many businesses in rural areas filed for bankruptcy in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Official bankruptcy statistics are not currently available classified by rural/urban areas.
	The latest available published bankruptcy figures, including a breakdown by business sector, are available on the Insolvency Service website. The only geographic information currently collated (and available on request) is based around the locations of official receivers offices and of courts having insolvency jurisdiction.

Berkeley Magnox Power Station

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the storage implications of continuing the decommissioning of Berkeley Magnox power station and the nuclear laboratories; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) assumed responsibility for the decommissioning and clean up of the UK's civil nuclear legacywhich includes the Berkeley nuclear siteon 1 April 2005.
	The NDA requires each of its sites to produce Life Time Plans which set out the total scope of activities which need to be undertaken over the sites' planned lifetime to bring it to its proposed end state. As part of the Life Time Plan process, Berkeley produces an integrated waste plan which detailsin respect of both the Magnox power station and the nuclear laboratoriesthe categories of waste which will be generated and how such waste will be processed. Intermediate Level Radioactive Waste (ILW) arising from the site's operations, the decommissioning of the laboratories and remaining power station facilities will be stored on site in a purpose-built facility throughout the site's 'care and maintenance' phasepending an agreed national long-term ILW management solution. There are no plans to store Low Level Waste (LLW) or High Level Waste (HLW) on site. The LLW will be dispatched to an authorised low-level waste repository, currently the national facility near Drigg. HLW is not generated on site.
	In addition, the NDA is in the process of preparing a business case for accelerating the decommissioning of its Magnox reactor sites with a view to achieving site clearance in about 25 yearsimplications for the storage of waste are being investigated as part of that case. Details of the NDA's proposals for the decommissioning of Berkeley and all the NDA's activities can be found on its website at www.nda.gov.uk

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which Minister in his Department is responsible for monitoring his Department's compliance with its duty under section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to have regard to the purpose of conserving biological diversity in carrying out its functions; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has only a small, inter-city estate, and so section 74 of the Countryside and Rights of Way Act has little direct relevance to the Department.

Biodiversity

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department plans to take to monitor the extent to which public bodies which report to him comply, from October, with their duty to conserve biodiversity in exercising their functions, under section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

Malcolm Wicks: Compliance with statutory obligations is an operational matter for which each public body is directly responsible. I will ensure that the bodies for which the Department is responsible are aware of their obligations under the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act 2006.

British Shipbuilders

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much money in legal costs was spent by British Shipbuilders to pursue the case of Murray  v. British Shipbuilders Hydrodynamics Ltd. and Patterson  v. Smiths Dock to the House of Lords.

Malcolm Wicks: British Shipbuilders spent 175,000 in pursuing the cases of Murray  v. British Shipbuilders Hydrodynamics Limited and Patterson  v. Smiths Dock on appeal to the House of Lords.
	As British Shipbuilders were successful in the House of Lords British Shipbuilders anticipate that the House of Lords will order that these costs be met by the after the event insurers that issued policies of insurance to the claimants' solicitors in exchange for a commercial premium. The costs will not therefore be paid out of the public purse or by the claimants themselves.

British Shipbuilders

Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether Ministers took advice from the Attorney-General about British Shipbuilders pursuing the cases of Murray  v. British Shipbuilders Hydrodynamics Ltd. and Patterson  v. Smiths Dock to the House of Lords.

Malcolm Wicks: No.

British Summer Time

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the effect on energy costs of the switch from British summer time to Greenwich mean time, with particular reference to the late afternoon; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will assess the merits of retaining British summer time throughout the year as an energy saving measure.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We consider that the present situation is a satisfactory compromise between those who prefer lighter mornings and those who prefer lighter evenings and we are not convinced that a change to our wintertime and summertime arrangements would be in the best interests of the UK.
	Portugal experimented with a move to central European time (1992-96) and we understand their Government concluded that there was insignificant energy saving to offset the negative impact of the change and reverted to Greenwich mean time.
	Therefore there are no plans to change the summer time arrangements at this time or to conduct any further research into the matter.

Broadband

Peter Luff: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to ensure effective competition in the wholesale broadband market; what plans he has to encourage investment in local loop unbundling; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The matter raised is the responsibility of the Regulator, the Office of Communications (Ofcom) which is accountable to Parliament rather than Ministers. Accordingly, I have asked the Chief Executive of Ofcom to reply directly to the hon. Member. Copies of the Chief Executive's letter will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Business Continuity Planning

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is taking to promote testable business continuity planning in the small and medium-sized enterprises sector following the Buncefield disaster; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: All employers should recognise the importance of ensuring that they have comprehensive and tested business continuity plans in place to meet the risks arising from major physical disasters such as the Buncefield explosion and other potentially disruptive incidents, such as terrorist activity, pandemic flu and industrial action. The Government are, therefore, working closely with the business community as a whole to encourage and support robust, flexible business continuity planning.
	The DTI is actively engaged with companies in those parts of the critical national infrastructure for which the Department of Trade and Industry has policy responsibility, ie fuel, power, telecommunications and chemicals, to ensure that plans are fully developed and that these are regularly tested. Similar sector-specific forums are in place in other key areas such as the finance industry.
	In addition, the Government have now set up a Business Advisory Group on Civil Protection with the aim of strengthening the relationship between Government and business in work to manage the risk from civil emergencies and to ensure that businesses maintain the capability to respond to and recover from such emergencies. The Government will also be seeking to use this Group as a channel to provide guidance and support to the business community to assist them in implementing their individual business continuity plans. The Group is attended by a wide range of business organisations, including representatives of the small and medium-sized sector such as the Federation of Small Businesses.
	The Government have also published extensive guidance for businesses to assist them with business continuity planning. The Preparing for Emergencies website www.pfe.gov.uk was re-launched in March, and is delivering a single portal for advice to business on emergencies and business continuity.
	At the local level, civil protection practitioners in local authorities already work closely with businesses to assist in emergency preparedness and planning. The Civil Contingencies Act (2004) has also placed a new duty on local authorities to provide advice and assistance to businesses and voluntary organisations in relation to business continuity planning. This came into force on 15 May 2006. The statutory guidance under the Act relating to this business promotion duty Emergency Preparedness clearly emphasises that
	Local authorities will need to be proactive in engaging the SME community, and ensure that materials are pitched at the right level.

Business Support

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assistance is available to people  (a) under and  (b) over 30 who want to start up their own business.

Margaret Hodge: The Department for Trade and Industry and the Small Business Service schemes are available to all regardless of whether they are seeking to start or maintain a business. There are strict criteria for our business support schemes, however there are none in place with regards to age. Details of the DTI's business support schemes are in Annex A.
	Responsibility for managing the delivery of business support products and services has largely been devolved to the Regional Development Agencies. The regions receive funding from six Government Departments (DfES, DWP, DTI, DCMS, DCLG, DEFRA), which forms part of their single pot of money that they can draw from to deliver the help and support they feel is necessary for the region. As a result, the support available for start-up businesses does vary from region to region.
	We strongly encourage people to approach Business Link to find out what support is available in their region. Business Link provides information, advice and support to all businesses seeking to start or grow their business. Advisers delivering the service will help customers to identify their needs, prioritise the areas they need to tackle and fast-track them to the support they need to make the most of their opportunities.
	Business Link will be able to signpost users to other schemes that are available from other Government Departments, Regional Development Agencies and local authorities, some of whom have their own start-up programmes. There are also initiatives from charities and the private sector such at the Prince's Trust and Shell LiveWire. The devolved Administrations will also have their own initiatives for assistance, as Business Link is only available in England.
	It is also worth noting the Department of Trade and Industry is leading a Government-wide initiative to simplify and streamline business support at local, regional and national level. The work is being done in partnership with the RDAs, other Government Departments and local bodies. The programme was formally announced in the Budget of March 2006.
	
		
			  Annex A 
			  Succeeding through innovation 
			  The product  Who is it for?  What does it provide?  Notes 
			 Knowledge Transfer Networks All businesses wanting to grow by exploiting technology. A grant to an intermediary to set up a network in a priority technology area, bringing together businesses, universities and others with an interest in technology applications. 1, 4 
			 Collaborative Research and Development All UK-based businesses wishing to exploit technology. Funding for collaborative RD projects between businesses, universities and other potential collaborators. Eligible projects include business to business collaborations as well as science to business collaborations. 1, 4 
			 Grant for Research and Development Small businesses wishing to research and develop technologically innovative products and processes. A grant to help businesses carry out RD that could lead to a technologically innovative product or process. 2, 4 
			 Knowledge Transfer Partnerships All businesses needing expert help to innovate. A grant to cover part of the cost of using a person to transfer and embed knowledge into a business from the UK knowledge base via a strategic project. 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Achieving best practice in your business 
			  The product  Who is it for?  What does it provide?  Notes 
			 Business Performance Diagnostic Small businesses wanting practical help in implementing best practice. A free diagnostic run by a Business Link adviser, with subsidised consultancy for selected projects. 3, 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Raising finance 
			  The product  Who is it for?  What does it provide?  Notes 
			 Small Firms Loan Guarantee Small businesses with viable proposals unable to obtain conventional loans because of a lack of security. A government guarantee covering 75 per cent. of the loan, encouraging commercial lenders to provide loans to businesses lacking security. Borrowers pay DTI a premium of 2 per cent per annum in return for the guarantee. 3, 4 
		
	
	
		
			  Regional investment 
			  The product  Who is it for?  What does it provide?  Notes 
			 Selective Finance for Investment in England Viable businesses of any size (excluding those in certain EC restricted sectors), looking to invest in the Assisted Areas but needing financial assistance to proceed. A grant towards a project's capital cost, subject to criteria on viability, productivity, creation / safeguarding of skilled jobs and quality, and need. 2, 4 
			  Notes: 1 The DTI is delivering the Technology Strategy and Programme through these products. Applications can only be made in the priority technology areas specified by the Strategy. More details are available at www.dti.gov.uk/technologyprogramme 2 Available in England only. In many cases similar schemes are offered by the appropriate organisations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All other solutions are UK-wide. 3 The DTI also funds various programmes to provide SMEs with better access to venture capital. 4 Participants may be contacted on behalf of DTI as part of the Department's routine evaluation and monitoring system.

Business Support

Mark Prisk: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what total expenditure was on all regional versions of the  (a) Accelerate,  (b) Access to Work,  (c) Arts Grants,  (d) Business Advice,  (e) Business Advice and Support,  (f) Business Advisors,  (g) Business Development,  (h) Business Planning,  (i) Business Start-Up,  (j) Grant for Research and Development,  (k) HIE Network Financial Assistance for Business,  (l) Historic Building Grants,  (m) Manufacturing Advisory Service,  (n) New Entrepreneur Scholarship,  (o) Selective Finance for Investment England,  (p) Start-Up and  (q) Workforce Development schemes in each of the past three financial years.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 18 September 2006
	I have listed the details requested for the programmes that are the responsibility of the Department. However, several of the programmes for which information is requested are managed and financed by other Government Departments, as shown.
	
		
			  000 
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			  (a) Accelerate 9,093 7,210 7,063 
			  (b) Access to Work Jobcentre Plus (DWP) 
			  (c) Arts Grants Arts Council (DCMS) 
			  (d) Business Advice Business Links (see below) 
			  (e) Business Advice and Support Business Links (see below) 
			  (f) Business Advisers Business Links (see below) 
			  (g) Business Development Business Links (see below) 
			  (h) Business Planning Business Links (see below) 
			  (i) Business Start-Up Business Links (see below) 
			  (j) Grant for Research and Development 46,000 39,400 26,800 
			  (k) HIE Network Financial Assistance for Business Highlands and Islands Enterprise (Scottish Executive) 
			  (l) Historic Building Grants English Heritage (DCMS) 
			  (m) Manufacturing Advisory Service 7,048 10,416 12,417 
			  (n) New Entrepreneur Scholarship Learning and Skills Council (DfES) 
			  (o) Selective Finance for Investment England 0 3,675 24,883 
			  (p) Start-Up Unknown 
			  (q) Workforce Development schemes Learning and Skills Council (DfES) 
			 Business Links (as per  (d) to  (j) above) 142,000 142,000 142,000

Carbon Dioxide Emissions

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

Malcolm Wicks: For emissions across the UK, the steps being taken by the DTI and the rest of Government to reduce carbon dioxide are set out in the 2006 climate change programme (http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/climatechange/uk/ukccp/index.htm), published on 28 March 2006, and in the Energy Review Report (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/page31995.html), published on 11 July 2006. The third annual report on the implementation of the Energy White Paper published on 25 July 2006 (http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/policy-strategy/energy-white-paper/third-annual-report/page32491.html) provides further information, including a specific section on 'Reducing carbon emissions'. DTI's responsibilities within Government relate primarily to the policies and measures designed to reduce emissions from the energy supply and business sectors. This includes support for the development of renewable and low carbon energy technologies.
	For the Department's own emissions, these are being reduced in accordance with the Framework for Sustainable Development in Government (http://www.sustainable-development.gov.uk/government/estates/index.htm). In particular, the Department has reduced the size of its main London estate by over a third in the last two years. Associated environmental impacts include reductions in energy use by more efficient use of space and the adoption of flexible working throughout the Department, on the basis of eight desks for 10 staff. The Department purchases about a third of its energy from renewable sources compared to a Government target of 10 per cent.
	DTI progress in meeting the targets set out in the framework is monitored by the Sustainable Development Commission. Full details are published on their website http://www.sd-commission.org.uk/watchdog/.
	The DTI is also part of the Government Carbon Offsetting Fund set up to implement the Prime Minister's commitment to carbon offset all official air travel in central Government by April 2006.

Coal Industry

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about introducing the blending of coal and biomass in the coal industry.

Malcolm Wicks: The blending of biomass with coal (co-firing) is supported under the renewables obligation. The Government have made proposals regarding the future treatment of co-firing in the Energy Review Report, which we will be consulting on shortly. These proposals were agreed across Government, including with the Scottish Executive in the normal way.

Coal Industry

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about making resources available to develop clean coal burn technology in the coal industry;
	(2)  what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about introducing clean coal burn technology in the coal industry;
	(3)  what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about making resources available to develop carbon capture and storage technology in the coal industry;
	(4)  what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive about introducing carbon capture and storage technology in the coal industry.

Malcolm Wicks: The Scottish Executive's response to the Energy Review consultation included support for both clean coal and carbon capture technology. The Executive's submission can be found at http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file34195.pdf

Coal Industry

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has reassessed the viability of the gasification of coal as a means of production in the light of increased wholesale natural gas prices.

Malcolm Wicks: The assessment of different means of electricity production is a matter for electricity generators, taking into account their own views of factors such as comparative fuel prices, carbon costs, future demand and supply etc.

Communications Act

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will bring forward proposals to strengthen the protection afforded by the Communications Act 2003 against spam.

Margaret Hodge: We have no plans to amend the Communications Act 2003 in this regard. The provisions of the Privacy of Electronic Communications Regulations 2003 will be reviewed in the context of the current review of the overarching regulatory framework for electronic communications in the European Union.

Community Shops

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what support he is giving to smaller community shops.

Margaret Hodge: Small shops are eligible for the same support measures as other small businesses. These include a range of grants, funds, loan guarantee schemes and advice available through Business Link. In addition, we ensure that representative bodies of smaller retailers are involved with our key retail forumsthe Retail Policy Forum (better regulation) and the Retail Innovation Group (identification and exploitation of good practice). The representative bodies have been invited to join the steering group for the regional retail strategy that is exploring good practice in working with retail at regional and sub-regional level. We also ensure that the main trade associations representing small shops are notified directly about relevant public consultations. We are also, as part of the Skills for Business agenda, supporting the Train to Gain programme which will help employers of all sizes to ensure that their staff have access to the right training and development.
	As a first port of call, we strongly encourage people to approach Business Link for any assistance or advice they require concerning their businesses. Business Link provides the information, advice and support that small and medium-sized enterprises need to maintain and grow their businesses. Business Link will fast-track customers to the expert help they need to make the most of their opportunities.

Companies Bill

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect on costs to UK businesses of the amendments in Standing Committee to the Companies Bill.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 13 September 2006
	The majority of the amendments made in Standing Committee were of a technical nature and are unlikely to give rise to major costs to UK businesses. Among the more substantive amendments that are likely to have the largest economic impact was the amendment relating to indirect investors in what is now Part 9 of the Bill. This amendment in some respects reverses the effect of an amendment originally made in the House of Lords. Following discussions with key representatives from the corporate, investor and broking communities, it was clear that the Bill as it left the Lords imposed significant costs to businesses, and the amendment brought forward in Standing Committee should reduce these considerably. Around 400 clauses restating other provisions of the Companies Act were also added. While there will be costs of familiarisation there are expected to be sizeable benefits for users of the law from having it together in one place.
	A revised regulatory impact assessment, reflecting the final Bill as amended during its passage, will be published once the Bill receives Royal Assent.

Company Accounts

Clive Betts: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what total amount of company accounts late filing penalties was  (a) levied and  (b) collected in 2005-06; and what the (i) length of delay and (ii) company status was in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of late filing penalties issued by Companies House in 2005-06 are as follows :-
	
		
			  Private companies 
			  Period overdue  Number  Amount () 
			 0-3 months 131,600 13,160,000 
			 3-6 months 38,976 9,744,000 
			 6-12 months 24,771 12,385,500 
			 Over 12 months 6,467 6,467,000 
			 Total 201,814 41,756,500 
		
	
	
		
			  Public companies 
			  Period overdue  Number  Amount () 
			 0-3 months 956 478,000 
			 3-6 months 204 204,000 
			 6-12 months 103 206,000 
			 Over 12 months 34 170,000 
			 Total 1,297 1,058,000 
		
	
	The total amount of late filing penalties collected and passed to the Treasury in 2005-06 was 30.3 million pounds. This revenue does not relate solely to penalties issued for the year 2005-06 as there is often a time lag between penalties being issued and collected.

Computing Equipment

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) USB (i) flash drives and (ii) memory sticks,  (b) compact discs,  (c) DVD-ROM discs,  (d) laptop computers,  (e) external computer hard drives,  (f) internal computer hard drives and  (g) desktop computers were purchased for use in his Department in each month since March 2005.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The vast majority of the Department's IT goods and services have been provided through a PFI agreement with Fujitsu Services. This agreement covers desktops, laptops, hard drives, however they are on a lease basis only. Items such as CDs/DVDs, USB devices, memory sticks are purchased at a local level using the stationery catalogues or local suppliers. Due to this devolved nature of procuring IT consumables, consistent data of all the information requested cannot be obtained without disproportionate cost.

Congo

Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment his Department has made of reports that British companies are engaged in illegal mineral extraction in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Ian McCartney: I refer my hon. Friend to my reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Vauxhall (Kate Hoey) on 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1298W.

Credit Agreements

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department is taking to protect consumers from extortionate credit agreements.

Ian McCartney: The Consumer Credit Act 2006, which received Royal Assent in March 2006, introduces a number of ways in which we intend to deter and, if necessary, deal with those lenders who abuse the current system through unfair and excessive interest rates. These include updates to legislation relating to the licensing of consumer credit businesses, changes to make it easier for customers to challenge extortionate or unfair credit bargains and providing the regulatory bodies with more effective powers of enforcement. We will monitor the impact of these measures and the cost of credit.

Criminal Offences

Nicholas Clegg: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many criminal offences his Department has created by Orders in Council in each year since 1997.

Ian McCartney: There have been no criminal offences created by the Department by Order in Council since 1997.

Cycling

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles his Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of his Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry introduced DTI Choices in March 2006, a benefit scheme enabling DTI staff to obtain tax-efficient computers, child care and bikes on a salary sacrifice basis. Safety equipment for the participant or their bike attracts the same tax savings. In accordance with Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs guidelines, bikes and safety equipment are loaned to employees, not purchased by employees.
	During the 2006 take-up period, five people (approximately 0.1 per cent. of those eligible) obtained bikes via the scheme. The scheme relies on a series of tax benefits one of which relates to VAT.
	The scheme uses one bike supplier, though this supplier has a national presence and is able to provide a wide range of bicycles to order in addition to standard store stock. This includes bicycles adapted for people with disabilities.
	In addition to the DTI Choices scheme, DTI continues to offer interest free loans for staff to purchase bicycles. Many DTI sites also offer facilities for bike users such as covered secure cycle parking, showers, lockers and changing facilities.

Databases

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department made to the European Commission in relation to its evaluation of Directive 96/6/EC on the legal protection of databases.

Jim Fitzpatrick: During the evaluation period, officials from the Patent Office heard many diverse views from stakeholders. Given the diversity of opinion and the absence of conclusive economic evidence for changing the directive, the UK did not make representations to the Commission. Instead, it was felt that the views of UK stakeholders would be better heard if they made representations to the Commission directly, and the Patent Office actively encouraged interested parties to do so.

Databases

Alan Keen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the Government's policy is on the treatment of sporting fixture lists under the provisions of the 1996 EC Database Directive.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The European Court of Justice has clarified which databases are protected by the directive, and found that certain sporting fixture lists are not protected. The UK has an obligation to follow European law, and domestic law will be applied so as to be consistent with the judgment of the Court.

Departmental Buildings

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of refurbishing  (a) 1 Victoria Street,  (b) Kingsgate House and  (c) 151 Buckingham Palace Road; how many people worked in each building (i) before and (ii) after refurbishment; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The works in these buildings formed part of the Department's very successful Two Roof project which reduced the size of the DTI estate in London by a third, introduced flexible desking on the basis of eight desks for every 10 staff across the whole Department (a Whitehall first on this scale) and generated annual savings of around 15 million per annum. The project has been subject of case studies by both the Office of Government Commerce and the National Audit Office.
	The cost of the works to 1 Victoria Street totalled 7.9 million of which over half comprised works to improve the performance of the building infrastructure, particularly the ventilation and cooling systems. The capacity of the building was increased from 1,680 to 2,400.
	The cost of the works to 151 Buckingham Palace Road totalled 3.9 million which again included a substantial element of life cycle works to the building infrastructure such as the ICT cabling. This enabled the DTI presence in the building to be concentrated on just three floors (total capacity 1,050) instead of the original five floors. The surplus two floors were completely vacated and then sublet.
	The cost of the works to Kingsgate House totalled 2.8 million and was concentrated on three floors. This enabled further activity (totalling 335 staff) to be brought into the building from other DTI accommodation in London which was then vacated and disposed of. The remainder of the building comprising the accommodation occupied by UK Trade and Investment was not part of the Two Roof programme.
	The DTI continues to keep its overall accommodation needs under review and an integral part of the overall works was the introduction of a standardized accommodation layout to enable further reductions in space to be carried out quickly and at low cost.

Departmental Buildings

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the total carbon emissions from his Department's buildings in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI is committed to the targets for energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions as set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development in Government. During the period 1990-2000 to 2005-2006 the DTI HQ and its Agencies have achieved a reduction in carbon emissions from 5.2 to 4.2 (000 tC) as has been reported annually in annual Sustainable Development in Government returns (SDIG) published through DEFRA.
	
		
			   kgC 
			  Carbon emissions (1999-2000) 5,152,249 
			   
			  Percentage change since 1999-2000  
			 2000-01 2 
			 2001-02 -6 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 -14 
			 2004-05 -15 
			 2005-06 (provisional data) -17 
		
	
	Over the past two years the Department has reduced the size of its London HQ estate by over 30 per cent. with a corresponding reduction in all the associated environmental impacts. This has been achieved by making more efficient use of its existing accommodation and the adoption of flexible desking on the basis of 8 workstations for every 10 staff. Other carbon reduction initiatives include the purchase of nearly a third of its electricity from renewable sources between 1999-2000 and 2004-05.

Departmental Childcare Facilities

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what crche facilities are provided by his Department; and at what cost to  (a) the Department and  (b) employees in 2005-06.

Jim Fitzpatrick: DTI staff in central London have access to a 32 place holiday play-scheme in our Victoria Street building. DTI HQ staff in Cardiff have access to a local holiday play-scheme, which is situated within a school.
	Costs for  (a) the Department for the holiday play scheme in 2005-06 were 59,936 and  (b) 14 per day per child for an employee using the holiday play scheme in London and 12 in Cardiff. Each play-scheme place is subsidised by the Department, the full daily rate being 31 in London and 24 in Cardiff.
	In April 2006 the DTI introduced the salary sacrifice scheme, which is available to all parents and carers, and enables them to make savings on their child care fees.

Departmental Contracts

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what contracts were awarded by his Department to Bird and Bird Solicitors in each year since 1997; what the  (a) value and  (b) duration of each such contract was; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Central records indicate that payments to Bird and Bird Solicitors in each of the last four financial years have totalled:
	
		
			
			 2003-04 0 
			 2004-05 0 
			 2005-06 79,243 
			 2006-07 to date 68,461 
		
	
	Further information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Staff

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what  (a) maternity and  (b) paternity leave arrangements are in place for employees of his Department.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Work and Families Act 2006 is the first step towards delivery of some of the measures set out in the Government response to the consultation, Work and Families: Choice and Flexibility, which was published in October 2005. It aims to establish a balanced package of rights and responsibilities for both employers and employees, in line with the Government's better regulation agenda.
	Among other things, the regulations extend entitlement to a year's maternity leave to all pregnant employees; extend notice periods for returning to work later or earlier than agreed from 28 days to eight weeks; and introduce 'keeping in touch days', so that employees can do up to 10 days work during maternity leave by agreement with their employer
	As a result of the Work and Families Act 2006 there will be changes to the existing maternity leave and pay regulations. These will come into force on 1 October 2006 for those employees whose expected date of childbirth is on or after 1 April 2007.
	 Maternity Leave
	From 1 October 2006 women whose babies are due on or after 1 April 2007 with 26 weeks' service by the 15th week in which their baby is due are entitled to 39 weeks statutory maternity pay. This has been increased from 26 weeks. They are also entitled to a further 13 weeks additional maternity leave (AML) which is unpaid.
	All women will continue to be entitled to 26 weeks' ordinary maternity leave (OML), which is unpaid, but from 1 October 2006 women whose babies are due on or after 1 April 2007 the length of service requirement for additional maternity leave AML will be removed, so all mothers who are employees will qualify for 26 weeks AML and will be able to choose to take up to one year off work.
	There is no obligation on employers to top up contractual schemes that go beyond the minimum set out in the law.
	Currently the DTI entitlement allows women with one year's service before the fourth week in which their baby is due to have 26 weeks paid maternity leave (PML) at full pay. They must return to work for at least one calendar month after childbirth or will have to repay any payment made less the statutory maternity pay (SMP) amount. There are no plans to extend this entitlement at present.
	Therefore from 1 October 2006 women whose babies are due on or after the 1 April 2007 who have the qualifying service are entitled to 26 weeks PML at full pay, then 13 weeks SMP. They are also entitled to a further 13 weeks AML which is unpaid.
	 Paternity Leave
	All new fathers or partners are entitled to 10 days paid paternity leave except during periods of unpaid absence. This need not necessarily be taken at the time of the birth but may be taken during the weeks following the birth of the child if this is more helpful.

Departmental Staff

Simon Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many of his Department's employees have been  (a) dismissed,  (b) suspended and  (c) subject to disciplinary action for criminal activity in each year since 1997.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Table 1 shows the numbers of staff subject to suspension or disciplinary action, including dismissal, for offences related to criminal charges.
	
		
			  Table 1: Disciplinary action relating to criminal charges 
			   Dismissed following suspension  Currently suspended  Subject to disciplinary penalty short of dismissal 
			 2006 to date 2 1 0 
			 2005 0  0 
			 2004 1  0 
			 2003 0  0 
			 2002 2  0 
		
	
	The Department has procedures in place for dealing with misconduct and gross misconduct. These procedures follow the standards set out in Chapter 4.3 of the Civil Service Management Code, covering central rules on standards of conduct.
	All staff are required to report any criminal charges made against them.
	Details of disciplinary action are retained centrally for a period of five years. Figures prior to 2002 are not available.

Disability Equality

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when and how he plans to publish the disability equality scheme for his Department; and in what formats.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry's disability equality scheme will be published on its website on 4 December. Alternative formats of the document will be made available on request.

Disability Equality

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methods are being used to involve disabled people in the production of his Department's disability equality scheme.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department of Trade and Industry is using a variety of methods to involve disabled people in the work on its disability equality scheme. We are working closely with the Department's Disability Advisory Group and trade unions to ensure disabled members of staff's views are taken into account. Externally, we are working with a range of disability organisations, such as Remploy; RADAR; the Association of Disabled Professionals; Blind Business Association Charitable Trust, and the Employers Forum on Disability to gather a range of views from our disabled customers.

Disability Equality

Lorely Burt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  which policy areas will be considered in the report on progress towards disability equality within the trade and industry policy sector due to be published in December 2008;
	(2)  what  (a) information-gathering and  (b) other steps (i) his Department and (ii) other relevant bodies are taking to inform the production of the report on progress towards disability equality within the trade and industry policy sector.

Jim Fitzpatrick: To inform the work for its disability equality scheme, the Department of Trade and Industry is carrying out an extensive screening exercise for all areas of its work. This will enable the Department to assess the relevance of its functions, policies and proposed policies to the general duty under the Disability Discrimination (Amendment) Act 2005, prioritise these areas of work accordingly, and draw up an action plan that will provide a framework to meet its legal obligations.
	This work will also cover DTI's five Executive Agencies: Companies House; Insolvency Service; National Weights and Measures Laboratory; Patent Office and the Small Business Service.

Disabled Staff

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much was paid to his Department from the Access to Work scheme for adjustments for disabled staff in the last year for which figures are available; from what budget he plans to meet the costs of reasonable adjustments for disabled staff following withdrawal of Access to Work funding for central Government Departments; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Department does not hold central records of staff receiving adaptations and equipment paid for by the Access to Work scheme.
	Where staff are in receipt of support through Access to Work, the Department intends to fund future support in line with current provision for reasonable adjustments not covered by the Access to Work scheme.

Doha Round

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely impact on  (a) developing and  (b) developed nations of reaching an agreement in the Doha World Trade Talks.

Ian McCartney: Clearly the Government are very disappointed that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations have been suspended, because a successful Doha Round could deliver real benefits to developed and developing nations through increasing trade, stimulating economic growth and helping to alleviate poverty. However, the exact gains that developed and developing nations could derive from the Doha Round are difficult to calculate, because they depend on a large number of variables. Estimates of the global economic gains resulting from particular dossiers have been made by, among others, the World Bank, UNCTAD, the OECD and the Carnegie Institute. These estimates vary considerably, depending on the assumptions included in the economic models used, although all agree that the gains resulting from ambitious liberalisation are greater than those from a less ambitious outcome. That is why the UK Government remain committed to achieving an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the DDA.

Doha Round

Geoffrey Clifton-Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he plans to have over the next month with  (a) Commissioner Mandelson,  (b) US Ambassador Susan Schwab and  (c) the Director General of the World Trade Organisation on prospects for reviving the Doha round of trade talks.

Ian McCartney: Clearly the Government are very disappointed that the Doha Development Agenda (DDA) negotiations have been suspended, but the Government remain fully committed to securing an ambitious, pro-development outcome to the Doha Development Agenda (DDA). In order to achieve this objective, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, myself and other Ministerial colleagues have had regular contacts with the EU Trade Commissioner, US Trade Representative Susan Schwab and Pascal Lamy, Director General of the WTO. We expect that these contacts will continue, as necessary.

Electricity Prices

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's latest estimate is of the price per kilowatt hour of electricity from  (a) tidal lagoons,  (b) marine current turbines,  (c) offshore wind,  (d) onshore wind,  (e) biomass and  (f) solar power; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department does not routinely publish estimates of the cost of generating electricity from various renewable energy sources. Estimates of generation costs from different technologies depend on the assumptions made about factors such as capital costs, discount rates and operation and maintenance costs.
	However, the latest estimates of the cost of electricity generation from onshore and offshore wind can be found in Chart Bl of the DTIs The Energy Challenge: Energy Review, published in July 2006(1).
	(1) http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file31890.pdf
	
		
			  Type of installation( 1)  Price (pence/kWh) 
			 Offshore windfarm (capacity of 100MW) 5.5-9.0 
			 Onshore windfarm (capacity of 80MW) 5.0-6.5 
			 (1) New build 
		
	
	The Department also published in February 2004 Results of Renewables Market Modelling(1), which it had commissioned from OXERA. Table 3.7 of the document lists the lower bound entry costs of energy crops (biomass) and marine technologies (which encompass tidal lagoons and marine current turbines) for 2004.
	(1) http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file2207.pdf
	
		
			  Type of installation( 1)  Entry cost (pence/kWh) 
			 Energy crops (biomass) 4.5 
			 Marine 10.9 
			 (1) New build 
		
	
	Finally, the Department commissioned from Enviros Consulting a report entitled The costs of supplying renewable energy(1), published in September 2005. Table 6.7 gives estimates of the cost of generation from solar, wave and tidal technologies in 2004.
	(1) http:www.dti.gov.uk/files/file21118.pdf
	
		
			  Type of installation( 1)  Cost of generation (pence/kWh) 
			 Solar 55.5 
			 Tidal 10.8 
			 Wave 13.7 
			 (1) New build 
		
	
	The Government are committed to the development of various renewable technologies so that they become competitive with conventional sources of electricity generation. To this end, the Government announced in the Energy Review their intention to extend the Renewables Obligation.

Electricity Transmission

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 17 July 2006,  Official Report, column 133W, on electricity transmission, what estimate he has made of the expected contribution of the Government's Microgeneration Strategy to reducing carbon dioxide emissions attributable to electricity transmission and distribution losses; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department of Trade and Industry has not made a specific estimate of the expected contribution of the Government's Microgeneration Strategy to reducing carbon dioxide emissions attributable to electricity transmission and distribution losses.
	However, a report carried out by the Energy Saving Trust on behalf of the DTI (The Potential for Microgeneration: study and analysis) suggests that by 2050, microgeneration could help to reduce household carbon dioxide emissions by 15 per cent. p.a. The measures outlined in the Microgeneration Strategy are aimed at removing the barriers facing the microgeneration industry and help microgeneration achieve this potential.

Electricity Transmission

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the current surplus of electricity generating capacity above peak demand.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 24 July 2006
	The current Great Britain (GB) plant margin (the amount by which the installed generating capacity exceeds the annual peak demand) is given by National Grid in its GB Seven Year Statement (SYS). In table 3.3 of the May 2006 update to the 2006 SYS, National Grid project an annual plant margin of 21.3 per cent. at:
	http://www.nationalgrid.com/NR/rdonlyres/D4863A68-641D-43DE-92F5-33BAC10CD8CD/7577/quarter1.pdf

Emissions Trading

David Howarth: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what measures he is contemplating to reinforce the operation of the EU emissions trading scheme in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 24 July 2006
	Strengthening the EU ETS through discussions with the European Commission and other member states is a Government priority. The Energy Review report outlined five areas where we would seek agreement to changes that would strengthen the scheme post 2012. But we will keep open the option of further measures to reinforce the operation of the EU ETS in the UK. In the event that this is necessary to provide greater certainty to investors, there are a number of potential options which we would need to analyse in further depth, but we would favour market-based mechanisms.

Emissions Trading

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to create  (a) a buy-out price and  (b) a price floor within the EU emissions trading scheme; and what assessment he has made of the proposal by the Sustainable Energy Policy Advisory Board in relation to this.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 24 July 2006
	I have no plans to create either a buy-out price or a price floor within the EU emissions trading scheme (EU ETS). Sustainable Energy Policy Advisory Board members may have their individual views, but I am not aware of a collective proposal by the board on this matter. The EU ETS will remain the best long-term mechanism for securing emissions reduction across the EU and has the potential to form the basis of a long-term global carbon trading market. The Government's recent report on the Energy Review highlighted that Government will continue to work with their international partners to strengthen the EU ETS to make it more effective.

Employment Act

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 5 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1115W, on the Employment Act, how many respondents there were to the Flexible Working Survey in each region.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The table shows the number of respondents(1 )surveyed in each region and Scotland and Wales.
	(1 )These are unweighted. For analysis the data obtained from the Omnibus Survey are weighted to ensure that demographic profiles match those of all adults in Great Britain aged 16 or over. Details of the weighting technique used can be found in the DTI Employment Relations Research Series No. 39Results of the Second Flexible Working Employee Survey (www.dti.gov.uk/files/file11441.pdf).
	
		
			  Respondents from the DTI Second Flexible Working Employee Survey 2005 
			   Number 
			 North East 186 
			 North West 374 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 328 
			 East Midlands 215 
			 West Midlands 305 
			 East of England 119 
			 London 492 
			 South East 670 
			 South West 286 
			 Wales 190 
			 Scotland 336 
			 Total 3,501 
			  Source: BMRB Omnibus Survey, January 2005.

Employment Agencies

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions in the last five years an employment tribunal, on application from the Secretary of State, has made an order prohibiting a person or employment agency from carrying on an employment business; and what the grounds were of each order.

Jim Fitzpatrick: In the last five years the employment tribunal has made 12 orders prohibiting a person or employment agency from carrying on an employment business.
	The grounds for each of the 12 orders are explained in the attached judgments, which are to be placed in the Libraries of the House for their information.

Employment Regulation

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many hours per week of inspection time are devoted to the enforcement of the Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Business Regulations 2003; and how many hours were devoted to this in the first year of operation of the Inspectorate.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The DTI's Employment Agency Standards Inspectorate has a team of 12 regionally based inspectors, two of whom work part-time hours. The Inspectorate also includes a management team of three, some of whom also undertake inspections, and a support team of four handling calls to a dedicated helpline.
	The Inspectorate investigates every relevant complaint it receives which indicates a possible breach of the legislation and also undertakes targeted checks of agencies where risk assessment indicates infractions may be more likely to occur. It does this by visiting agencies' premises, where appropriate, and examining the records.
	We do not have any data on record to indicate how many hours per week were devoted to enforcement of the Conduct Regulations in the first year that the Inspectorate was in operation. The Act and Conduct Regulations came into force in November 1976 and enforcement was carried out through the Department of Employment Regional Offices.

End-use Monitoring

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to introduce a pilot programme of end use monitoring as recommended in the Quadripartite Select Committee first joint report of session 2005-06.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government are currently preparing their response to the Committee's report, which will be publicly available at the end of this month.

Energy

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the tripartite discussions on energy consents between the Wales Office, the National Assembly for Wales and his Department to be concluded.

Malcolm Wicks: The tripartite group has undertaken a thorough examination of the issues associated with the possibility of a transfer of consents responsibilities to the Welsh Assembly Government. The group has not yet formally submitted options to Ministers as work was put on hold while the Energy Review was being undertaken. The Wales Office, DTI and the Welsh Assembly Government now need to consider how this work can be concluded, taking into account Government's commitment, working closely with the devolved administrations, to introduce fundamental changes to the planning system for major energy projects as announced in the Energy Review Report.

Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to respond to the recommendations of the tripartite working group on energy project consents in Wales.

Malcolm Wicks: The tripartite group has undertaken a thorough examination of the issues associated with the possibility of a transfer of consents responsibilities to the Welsh Assembly Government. The group has not yet formally submitted options to Ministers as work was put on hold while the Energy Review was being undertaken. The Wales Office, DTI and the Welsh Assembly Government now need to consider how this work can be concluded, taking into account Government's commitment, working closely with the devolved Administrations, to introduce fundamental changes to the planning system for major energy projects as announced in the Energy Review Report.

Energy

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what statutory powers are available  (a) to prevent and  (b) to disperse blockades of domestic fuel storage, refining and distribution facilities; and when these powers were last reviewed.

Vernon Coaker: holding answer 11 September 2006
	I have been asked to reply.
	There is a wide range of powers available to the police to deal with blockades particularly where they disrupt lawful activity or are violent or intimidatory. These powers are kept under review.

Energy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on how many occasions and at what locations  (a) he,  (b) his predecessors as Secretary of State and  (c) the Energy Minister met (i) representatives from trade unions working at nuclear sites, (ii) national environmental groups and (iii) regional environmental groups to discuss nuclear policy in the period during which the Energy Review was held.

Malcolm Wicks: Over the consultation period Ministers and the energy review team were engaged in around 300 consultation activities with a wide range of organisations across the energy and environment landscapebusiness and industry representatives, green NGOs, consumer groups, unions and academia. These activities included eight seminars across England, Scotland and Wales attended by regionally based participants nominated by Government offices. The issue of civil nuclear power was discussed at most of these engagements.

Energy

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry for what reason town-scale combined heat and power plants were not included in the modelling of relative electricity generating technologies set out at Annexe B of the Energy Review, Cm 6887.

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy Review modelled new large-scale technologies that have the potential over time to become less expensive and, in turn, to play a major role in UK electricity generation, including new generation nuclear, cleaner coal, and gas and coal with carbon capture and storage. In addition, we modelled gas-fired and coal-fired plant as 'base cases' for comparison.
	CHP is a proven and mature technology. Its broad costs are well known to market participants. Indeed it accounts for over 5.5GW of capacity, or around 7 per cent. of the UK total. Its potential for playing a larger role in the UK energy mix is substantial, at large-scale and community level, as set out in the Energy Review.

Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 5.134 of the Energy Review, from which companies  (a) the Environment Agency and  (b) the Office for Civil Nuclear Security will be able to recover the costs of their proposed contribution to the pre-licensing process for new reactors.

Malcolm Wicks: The Environment Agency and Office for Civil Nuclear Security will be able to recover the costs associated with a pre-licence assessment from the organisation that has made the application. Industry will, as now, meet the costs of licensing any nuclear plant.

Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of consultancy fees in relation to the Energy Review; whether consultants from Wales were engaged as advisers; and whether consultants have been retained to take forward the proposals in the Review.

Malcolm Wicks: Approximately 1,200,000 was spent on consultancy work relating to the Energy Review.
	Details of the consultants appointed are at
	http://www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review/advisers/page28303.html.
	No further appointments have been made.

Energy

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate his Department has made of the extra energy used per day in  (a) businesses and  (b) households when the temperature rises above 25 degrees Celsius.

Malcolm Wicks: National Grid has produced an estimate on the impact of high air temperatures on electricity demand. This suggests that the total extra electricity demand for cooling equates to 250MW per degree Celsius in excess of 20 degrees Celsius.

Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what additional public investment in energy security he expects to take place as a result of the agreement on energy made at the G8 summit in St. Petersburg.

Malcolm Wicks: G8 members agreed at St. Petersburg that the challenges we face in relation to energy security are best addressed by developing competitive markets. The role of Governments should be to establish stable regulatory frameworks to facilitate investment in the production and transportation of energy.
	The G8 also agreed that improving energy efficiency and diversifying the energy mix make important contributions to energy security, as well as climate security. The communiqu also covers fuel poverty. It is now for individual G8 nations to consider how to deliver the agreements reached, and the extent of any public funding. The Gleneagles Dialogue meeting on Climate Change, Clean Energy and Sustainable Development, to be hosted by Mexico in October, will be part of this process.

Energy White Paper

Colin Challen: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he intends to publish his next annual report on progress towards implementation of the 2003 Energy White Paper.

Malcolm Wicks: The third annual report on implementation of the Energy White Paper was published on 24 July 2006.

Enterprise Insight

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether all contacts awarded by Enterprise Insight have been  (a) put out to competitive tender and  (b) advertised on the Supply2.gov.uk website; how many contracts have been awarded to organisations who have previously carried out work for Enterprise Insight; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: Enterprise Insight is a company limited by guarantee formed by the British Chambers of Commerce, the CBI, the Federation of Small Businesses and the Institute of Directors, and as such is not subject to public procurement rules. However, it is stated in Enterprise Insight's workplan for 2006-07, a document that forms part of their funding agreement, that they
	will at all times work to maximize value for money, by for example ensuring competitive tendering is undertaken for the contracting of services.
	Supply2.gov.uk is currently a mechanism for Government procurement, and is therefore not appropriate.
	Information on contracts awarded to organisations that have previously carried out work for Enterprise Insight is not available.

Enterprise Insight

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, column 287W, on Enterprise Insight, how levels of entrepreneurial activity and deprivation were measured; what plans he has to increase the number of areas with local campaign hubs; and whether it is possible for local authorities to apply for a campaign hub to be based in their locality.

Margaret Hodge: Levels of entrepreneurship were measured by reference to the number of VAT registrations, and levels of deprivation were measured by reference to the Index of Multiple Deprivation. The five places selected for the local campaign hubs are all in the lowest 20 per cent. of entrepreneurial activity, and all but one are in the worst 20 per cent. for deprivation.
	Plans to increase the number of campaign hubs are the responsibility of Enterprise Insight. Local authorities should contact Enterprise Insight should they wish to discuss the topic of campaign hubs.

EU Directives

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations his Department has made on the adoption of a Cross Border Transfer of Registered Office of Company Directive.

Ian McCartney: In the context of responding to the consultation on the EU Action Plan on Company Law and Corporate Governance on 28 March 2006, the then Minister for Employment Relations and Consumer Affairs, my hon. Friend the Member for Bradford, South made written representations to the European Commission concerning the proposed transfer of registered office directive. These were in the following terms:
	The UK remains committed to promoting cross-border restructuring opportunities for companies as an important part of the integration of the EU Single Market. In that context, the proposed Directive for the transfer of the registered office of a company may be helpful to companies seeking to adapt themselves in response to changing market circumstances and the location of their customer and client base.
	The full text of this letter is available on the website of the European Commission at http://cc.europa.eu/internal_market/company/consultation/index_en.htm#060706.
	The proposed directive has also been discussed by officials of the Department of Trade and Industry in meetings with the European Commission and other member states.

EU Directives

Mark Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the compatibility of oil and gas development in special areas of conservation with Article 12 (1) (d) of the EU Habitats and Wildlife Directive; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Article 12 (1) (d) requires that member states shall take the requisite measures to establish a system of strict protection for animal species listed in Annexe IV of the Habitats Directive in their natural range, prohibiting deterioration or destruction of breeding sites or resting places.
	These requirements are primarily implemented in the UK through Regulations 10 and 16 of the 2001 Offshore Petroleum Activities (Conservation of Habitats) Regulations and by Regulation 39 of the 1994 Conservation (Natural Habitats) Regulations. Regulation 10 of the 2001 Regulations makes it an offence, subject to specified defences, for a person to carry out oil and gas activities on the UK continental shelf in such as way as to cause deterioration or destruction of breeding sites or resting places of such animal species. Regulation 39 of the 1994 Regulations makes similar provision with regard to territorial waters.
	Moreover, as I advised the hon. Gentleman in previous replies my officials are conducting an appropriate assessment to determine the likelihood of damage or disturbance to special areas of conservation and, if appropriate, which mitigative measures should be applied.
	I am also awaiting the results of the SCANS II (Small Cetaceans in the European Atlantic and North Sea) survey conducted in the summer of 2005 and in the light of these may commission through the strategic environmental assessment process a review of the science base of breeding biology of selected marine mammals in British waters. The scope of this review would be discussed with our statutory advisers and a number of interested stakeholders.

EU Funding

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Truro and St Austell (Matthew Taylor) of 8 June 2006,  Official Report, column 857-8W, on EU funding, how much match funding will be provided by the Government for the EU convergence funding programme for the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly region between 2007 and 2013.

Margaret Hodge: Under the Structural Funds Regulations for 2007-13, the contribution of the funds to UK programmes established under the convergence objective is limited to 75 per cent. of eligible expenditure, with the balance provided by match funding from public, or public and private, sources.
	The actual intervention rate that will apply to the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly programme has still to be negotiated and agreed with the European Commission, so it is not possible at this stage to give a precise figure for the amount of match funding that will be required.
	As in the current programme, it is expected that the match funding requirements will be met from a mix of existing funding sources at national, regional and local levels.

EU Funding

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many infrastructure programmes in the UK have received funding from EU structural funds in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: There are no specific infrastructure programmes in the UK co-financed by EU structural funds. However, there are infrastructure projects in the UK which receive such funding, but details are not held in DTI centrally and could be obtained only at a disproportionate cost.

Export Controls

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the Export Control Act 2002 as a vehicle for prosecution of trafficking and brokering breaches of export control; and what steps his Department has taken to establish a register of brokers in line with the EU Common Position on Brokering.

Malcolm Wicks: The Quadripartite Committee has raised these questions with the Government in their Annual Report on Strategic Export Controls. The Government are currently preparing their response, which will be publicly available at the end of this month.

Export Controls

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what export licences were refused to Saudi Arabia on the grounds of  (a) aggressive use,  (b) contribution to regional conflict,  (c) human rights abuses and  (d) internal repression in each of the last 10 years.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government publish detailed information on their export licensing decisions, including refused licences, by destination, in their annual and quarterly reports on Strategic Export Controls. The Government's annual reports are available from the Libraries of the House and the DTI Export Control Organisation website at http://www.dti.gov.uk/europeantrade/strategic-export-control/index.html
	Information as to export licence applications for Saudi Arabia is available only from the point at which the Consolidated EU and National Arms Export Licensing criteria were introduced in 2000. I can confirm that in that period, four standard individual export licence applications for Saudi Arabia were refused. Of these, two licence applications were refused under criterion two
	The respect of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the country of final destination;
	and two applications were refused under criterion five
	The national security of the UK, of territories whose external relations are the UK's responsibility, and of allies, EU member states and other friendly countries.

Fashion Industry

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote the British fashion industry.

Shaun Woodward: I have been asked to reply.
	My Department gained responsibility for the fashion sector in 2005. Since then we have been working with representatives from the industry to understand their issues and how Government policies and programmes can best respond to them.
	As part of this the Secretary of State and my predecessor as Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism hosted a fashion summit on 27 April this year. The fashion industry highlighted a number of issues including how London Fashion Week might be strengthened, what should be done to develop better partnerships between industry and colleges, how access to new technologies might be improved and how support might better be provided for young fashion businesses. We shall review progress in the next few months and the outcome of this dialogue with industry and with the sector skills council for the fashion industry (Skillfast-UK) will feed into the Department's ongoing Creative Economy Programme, which aims to improve the growth and productivity of the creative industries.

Fashion Industry

Mark Field: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to ensure that newly qualified fashion professionals are retained by the UK's fashion industry.

Shaun Woodward: I have been asked to reply.
	It is estimated that over 3,000 students graduate from UK university fashion and textile design courses every year. According to data supplied by the Higher Education Statistics Agency, of those who obtain a job in the next six months following graduation, 14 per cent. secure a design job in the apparel, footwear and textiles sector.
	According to Skillfast-UK's Skills Need Assessment report 2005, there is an over-supply of qualified people, but employers have still identified significant skills shortages. More students could be employed in UK businesses, if they had the appropriate complementary skills to underpin their creativityin particular, technical skills such as pattern cutting, grading and garment construction, together with commercial and production understanding.
	Skills issues were discussed at a fashion summit which was held on 27 April this year and hosted by the Secretary of State and my predecessor as Minister for Creative Industries and Tourism. DCMS is working with Skillfast-UK, the sector skills council for apparel, footwear and textiles, the British Fashion Council and Creative London on how best to respond to skills shortages, and support young designers so that they can utilise their design talent within the UK.
	Plans for a technical training centre and designer mentoring service in London, which will bring established names together with young talent, will be discussed at a meeting of top designers, convened by the sector skills council, in early September.
	Skillfast-UK is also working with the Higher Education Subject Design Centre and the Centres of Vocational Excellence to ensure that higher education courses include the technical and commercial skills that employers require.
	As part of our continuing dialogue and work with the fashion industry my Department will stay in close touch with how skills and employment issues develop, and we intend a further major discussion with the industry on priorities and progress to take place at an appropriate time in the next few months.

Feed-in Tariffs

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the use of feed-in tariffs in EU member states.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK Government have not carried out their own assessment but the Commission issued a Communication in December 2005 which assessed the four main groups of support systemsfeed-in tariffs, green certificates, tendering systems and tax incentives. The report acknowledges that the current level of support for renewable electricity differs significantly among EU member states and that it is difficult to assess the long-term impact of green certificates/quota systems, which is a relatively new system, against the more established feed-in tariff schemes.
	The report can be found at: http://ec.europa.eu/energy/res/biomass_action_plan/doc/2005_12_07_comm_biomass_electricity_en.pdf

Franchising

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 225W, on franchising, what the reason is for the (single tier) exemption from the provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973 part XI and its amendments including the Trading Schemes Act 1996; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: The Trading Schemes Act 1996, and supporting trading schemes regulations 1997 sought to tackle multi-level scam trading schemes which had been devised to avoid the controls in the Fair Trading Act 1973. The policy rationale for this legislation was, and continues to be, to provide a degree of protection to a person who is vulnerable in relation to another in terms of financial position and level of business acumen (i.e. a person analogous to a consumer), while not burdening legitimate business, particularly the franchise sector, with unnecessary legislation.
	The Trading Schemes (Exclusion) Regulations 1997 reflected the second of these aims and excluded from regulatory control single tier schemes which consist of essentially one member on one level and all other participants on a level below. This was to exclude legitimate franchise business arrangements.

Franchising

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 5 June 2006,  Official Report, column 225W, on franchising, whether the review of the content of File FT 851 and the Department's view that the two master franchisers in the UK of a foreign-based franchise-trading scheme were both exempt from the provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973 part XI and its amendments, including the Trading Schemes Act 1996, included a review by Treasury Counsel responsible for the original opinion on which the Department's view was based; and if he will make a statement.

Ian McCartney: Treasury Counsel did not review the content of File FT 851 or the Department's view that the two master franchisers in the UK of a foreign-based franchise-trading scheme were both exempt from the provisions of the Fair Trading Act 1973 part XI and its amendments, including the Trading Schemes Act 1996.

Franco-British Nuclear Forum

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the first meeting of the Franco-British nuclear forum to take place.

Malcolm Wicks: It is expected that the first meeting of the Franco-British nuclear forum will take place in Paris by the end of the year, with the second meeting taking place in London in the spring.
	The forum, announced by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and President Chirac following the Franco-British summit on 9 June, is expected to attract considerable interest from both UK and French industry. It represents an excellent opportunity to develop civil nuclear cooperation between the two countries.
	Officials at the DTI and their counterparts at the Ministry of Finance and Industry in France are currently working together to develop important aspects of the forum. These include membership and structure as well as content and timing of the events. Officials at the DTI will write to advise the hon. Gentleman of the date of the first meeting, once it has been agreed.

Fuel Stocks

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what the statutory basis is for maintenance of strategic stocks of  (a) petroleum products,  (b) natural gas and  (c) coal;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the current levels of the UK's strategic stocks of  (a) petroleum products,  (b) natural gas and  (c) coal, broken down by (i) Government stocks and (ii) privately-held stocks.

Malcolm Wicks: EU member states are required by Directive 2006/67/EC (a codification of previous legislation dating from 1968 and 1998) to hold oil stocks equal to 90 days' average daily national consumption during the preceding calendar year.
	There are no similar EU Directives relating to natural gas or coal and consequently no compulsory stocks for either natural gas or coal.
	As a net exporter of oil and oil products the UK currently has no obligation to hold stocks through its membership of the International Energy Agency but has an obligation to take part in any collective response to a major international supply disruption, as happened following Hurricane Katrina.
	The UK has always met these international oil-stocking obligations by directing companies to hold stocks. Section 6 of the Energy Act 1976 allows my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry to give directions to businesses producing, supplying or using petroleum products within the UK market, requiring them to hold minimum levels of oil stocks.
	The Directive (2006/67/EC) provides that as a crude oil producer the UK has a derogation which reduces our obligation by 25 per cent. to 67.5 days' consumption.
	Latest figures for July 2006 show that the UK held oil stocks of 11.2 million tonnes, equivalent to 81 days of consumption. Other than military stocks that are excluded from strategic stockholding, all UK oil stocks are held by industry.

Fuel Stocks

Stephen Crabb: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many days supply of  (a) petroleum products,  (b) natural gas and  (c) coal were held in storage in the UK in (i) 1995 and (ii) 2005.

Malcolm Wicks: For petroleum products, stocks at the end of the December 1995 were equivalent to 80 days of consumption. For 2005 the equivalent figure was 74 days. By July 2006 stocks had risen to the equivalent of 81 days' consumption.
	For coal, stocks at the end of the December 1995 were equivalent to 96 days of consumption. For 2005 the equivalent figure was 93 days, but this falls to 77 days if the average rate of consumption during the first quarter of 2005 is used, since consumption during winter quarters is higher than the average. By July 2006 coal stocks had shown a seasonal rise to the equivalent of 97 days' average consumption.
	For gas, indigenous gas fields connected only to the UK transmission system and in continuous production act in the same way as storage facilities for other fuels. However, gas demand is seasonal and storage capability is necessary to meet peak winter demand and daily demand fluctuations and to enable shippers to balance the gas they put into the network with their offtakes on a daily basis. Even in winter gas storage is unlikely to be used as a continuous form of supply, and stocks are replenished during periods of lower demand. Indicator 2 of the Sixth Report of the Joint Energy Security of Supply Working Group (April 2006), a copy of which is in the Library of the House, shows how gas storage contributes to gas supply over the 100 coldest winter days.

Gas Storage

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps the Government are taking to improve gas storage in the UK.

Malcolm Wicks: It was announced on 12 January 2006 that the Government would put in place new measures to increase the potential for gas storage in the UK. The current consents regime for onshore gas supply infrastructure, including gas storage, will be reviewed and streamlined, with the possibility of further legislation as appropriate. The DTI will be consulting on possible changes, in view of the recommendations of the Barker Review of Land Use Planning and the Eddington Transport Study, due to publish towards the need of the year. Offshore, new legislation to provide a fit for purpose consents regime for offshore gas storage in salt caverns will be introduced as soon as parliamentary time is available.
	Additionally we published a Parliamentary Statement of Need for additional Gas Supply Infrastructure on 16 May 2006 which noted the importance of local decision makers taking the national need for such infrastructure into account when considering development applications.

Government Arms Policy

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the likely impact on the Government's arms policy of the situation in Israel, Lebanon and the Palestinian Territories.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	We assess rigorously all relevant export licence applications on a case by case basis against our EU and National Arms Export Licensing Criteria taking full account of the prevailing circumstances at the time of application and other announced Government policies, and will continue to do so. A licence will not be issued where to do so would be inconsistent with the criteria. The Government are proud of the UK's robust and transparent export licensing regime, which is amongst the best in the world.
	Our Embassies monitor the situation in this region closely, including how this might affect export licence applications. They report, for instance, any illicit diversion of UK supplied equipment, should this come to light.

Harold Yates

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements are in place for access to files relating to the late Harold Yates by Mrs Sheila Yates in relation to her claim for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI officials are not familiar with this claim and have been unable to trace it from the information provided. In general, information relating to a claim would be held by the claimant's representative to whom inquiries should be directed.

Highly Enriched Uranium

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the written statement of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 54WS, on civil plutonium and uranium stocks, what the purpose was of the blending down of the highly enriched uranium; and at what locations this process has taken place.

Malcolm Wicks: High enriched uranium residues are recovered during the decommissioning activities being carried out at the Gas Diffusion Enrichment Plant at Capenhurst, which ceased operations in 1982. The recovered high enriched uranium is blended with natural or depleted uranium to give a low enriched uranium product with a U-235 content of less than 5 percent., which is the BNFL Capenhurst site limit for the storage of nuclear material.

Home Computing Initiative

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2006,  Official Report, column 296W, on the Home Computing Initiative, on what dates he discussed with the Treasury the withdrawal of the tax exemption for loaned computer equipment under the Home Computing Initiative Scheme.

Margaret Hodge: The DTI have regular discussions with the Treasury on budgetary issues. We do not publish details of these for reasons of confidentiality.

Identity Fraud (Training)

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what internal training courses for tackling identity fraud are provided to departmental staff who have access to members of the public's personal information.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We take the security of information very seriously and people who have limited access to information, including any personal information about the public, are given appropriate training, guidance and supervision by colleagues and line managers as our internal training providers do not run courses on this subject matter.

Individual Voluntary Arrangements

Justine Greening: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many people entered into individual voluntary arrangements in  (a) 2000-01,  (b) 2001-02,  (c) 2002-03,  (d) 2003-04 and  (e) 2004-05, broken down by those aged (i) under 20, (ii) 21-25, (iii) 26-30, (iv) 31-35, (v) 36-40 and (vi) over 41.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Official individual voluntary arrangement statistics are not available by age group.
	The figures in the table give financial year totals for England and Wales, based on published headline seasonally adjusted quarterly data.
	
		
			   Individual Voluntary Arrangements 
			   Number 
			 2000-01 7,466 
			 2001-02 6,003 
			 2002-03 6,421 
			 2003-04 8,227 
			 2004-05 11,829

Industry (Investment)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to promote investment in industry in Southend-on-Sea; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has promoted investment in industry in Southend-on-Sea through the East of England Development Agency (EEDA).
	East of England Development Agency (EEDA) has, since 1999, engaged in a wide range of regional activities to increase enterprise throughout the East of England including Southend-on-Sea. Business Support activity includes, for example, funding services such as Business Link, the Manufacturing Advisory Service (MAS-East); and promoting inward investment and trade through East of England International (EEI) established in 2005 as successor to the previous regional organisation, Invest East of England. Further examples include programmes such as 'Towards 2010' (developing business skills) and 'Enterprising Women' (increasing rates of women in enterprise, launched in January 2006). All of these services have a region-wide remit.
	 Business Link Activity in Southend-on-Sea
	According to the Inter-departmental Business Register (IDBR) there are 7,932 registered small and medium sized businesses in the unitary authority area of Southend-on-Sea. Of this total, Business Link (Essex) has provided a service to 1,590 (20 per cent.) in the 12 months to 30 June 2006. In addition, a further 620 early stage businesses have been supported in the past 12 months.
	The register shows that 150 SMEs have developed a more in-depth relationship with Business Link and have received individualised support with their business development issues.
	In addition to the above:
	Business Link (Essex) has secured European Regional Development Funding to help finance a 2.1 million programme of business support operating in the Objective 2 wards within Southend-on-Sea. These are Milton, Shoeburyness, St. Lukes, Thorpe and Victoria.
	Objective 2 funding in Southend-on-Sea is intended to stimulate business start-up activity, improve prospects for survival and growth and strengthen the competitive performance of established businesses. Working with partners including Southend borough council, the East of England Development Agency, the Regional Centre for Manufacturing Excellence, South East Essex College and the University of Essex at Southend, Business Link provides an integrated package of subsidised business support according to businesses' needs and encourages active labour market policies, lifelong learning, adaptability and entrepreneurship.
	Business Link (regionally) has also used funds from the East of England Development Agency and the European Regional Development Fund to set up the East of England Co-investment Fund (COIN), which helps to stimulate investment into businesses located in or re-locating to an Objective 2 area by investing alongside private capital.
	The fund has been designed for businesses with viable business plans who are looking for investment capital to finance their start-up or growth plans and who are keen to work with one or more private equity investors who will often bring skills and experience as well as capital.
	Business Link (Essex) raises awareness of Objective 2 and COIN in Southend-on-Sea using the Business Link website, events for local businesses and e-newsletters aimed at established and growing businesses. These encourage businesses to take the advice available to them and offer information and articles on the latest issues affecting businesses, such as new legislation and best practice.
	 International Investor Development
	Southend-on-Sea is home to some eleven overseas-owned investors including Olympus Keymed and the UK's largest manufacturer of endoscopy equipment
	Olympus Keymed provides over 900 high quality jobs in Southend in the medical devices sector and is a priority company for the EEI investor development programme which also directly supports the other overseas-owned companies in the area, two of which also operate in this high-technology sector.
	 Airport Development
	EEI have also worked with the new owners of Southend Airport to provide route development assistance over the last year to help them attract new airlines and routes to this airport.
	In addition EEDA has invested in a number of key regeneration projects in Southend which ultimately will provide a more attractive environment for business investment. Key projects include:
	 University of EssexSouthend Campus
	The University of Essex (UoE) and South East Essex College in partnership are moving to a new 50 million campus in the centre of Southend in September 2004 which will accommodate up to 12,000 students (not all full-time). EEDA have acted as accountable body for 14 million of ODPM funding spent between 2003-06. EEDA also contributed in the region of 4 million towards the acquisition of the site in 2003.
	EEDA and UoE are discussing subsequent potential phases of the Southend Campus project. These include innovative proposals for Business Incubation, based around focused research and International Cluster development (in key clusters around an Indo-Chinese axis.) EEDA is proposing to provide 200,000 to support this initiative.
	 The Palace Hotel
	The Palace Hotel is a prominent landmark building and historic cultural asset on the seafront above the pier in Southend. It has fallen into a neglected physical condition and prior to the instigation of this project was being used to provide temporary accommodation for refugees and asylum seekers. Securing its refurbishment and maximising the potential of this asset for Southend is seen as a key aspect of wider emerging regeneration plans for the town centre and seafront areas on which its future has significant impacts.
	EEDA is working with the University of Essex on the creation of a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) and business training facility, over one floor within a refurbished Palace Hotel, as part of a larger scheme to regenerate the property (which will involve the creation of a high quality hotel using private capital).
	High quality training facilities, aimed at a business audience, will provide a unique facility in the sub-region, with the opportunity to tap into the London market. It forms part of the strategic development of the university to enhance its offer to business and fits well within the development of Southend as an important education hub. The project also sits well in the context of developing Southend as a more upmarket leisure destination.
	The proposed EEDA investment of 1.5 million is part of a wider public and private sector investment of 26.5 million.
	 Former Rossi's Factory Site
	The regeneration of the commercial seafront area of Southend-on-Sea is a key element of the overall vision of the town as a significant urban area and cultural and educational focus which serves local people and the Thames Gateway. The Seaway Car Park site was identified as a site which should be undertaken in a comprehensive redevelopment incorporating properties fronting the Golden Mile and adjoining properties to the west of site including the Rossi Ice Cream Factory.
	The purchase of this key development site (1.94 ha) will assist in assembling a land package which includes the Seaway Car Park and will facilitate the unlocking of the area which enables its regeneration within a wider integrated regeneration strategy for the central seafront commercial area.
	EEDA has allocated about 1.5 million for this acquisition and heads of terms for funding agreement have already been drafted. Negotiations between the vendors and Southend borough council (who are leading delivery on behalf of the partners) are ongoing.
	 Progress Road Industrial Estate
	The acquisition and redevelopment of this site is key to improving the quality of the Progress Road employment area. The site currently accommodates a low quality production and warehouse facility. Its acquisition (and eventual redevelopment) would act as a catalyst for approx. 1.5-2 ha of under-utilised employment to the south of the site alongside an area of council owned land to the west of the site. The site runs to 0.57 ha and the premises 35,000 sq ft.
	The site was acquired in late March by Southend borough council via EEDA funding of 2 million over 2005-06. A further 200,000 is projected to be spent 2006-07 in undertaking on-site demolition and clearance, followed by master-planning of the broader Progress Road employment area to support delivery of the emerging Regeneration Framework.
	The above demonstrates that the economic development of Southend is a major priority for EEDA with in excess of 10 million being invested and committed within the past three years.

International Arms Trade Treaty

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on progress toward an international arms trade treaty.

Kim Howells: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are fully committed to securing an international treaty on the trade in all conventional arms. Both my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister and my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary, the latter most recently in her speech to the UN General Assembly on 22 September, have made clear our commitment to securing agreement, at the General Assembly this year, for a UN based process to this end. I, along with my Department for International Development and Ministry of Defence counterparts, hosted a meeting with London's diplomatic community, non-governmental organisations and industry representatives on 14 September. This gave us the opportunity to emphasise to the diplomatic community why an arms trade treaty is so important to the Government, and our determination to secure agreement at the UN. With a range of partners we intend to bring forward the appropriate resolution at the UN First Committee for this initiative. In advance of this we are continuing to build further support through intensive lobbying.

Japan

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Department spent in each of the last five years building links between the UK and Japan with a focus on  (a) engineering,  (b) science and technology and  (c) innovation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The majority of the Department's expenditure on these subjects is allocated from the Science Budget to the UK Research Councils. In turn, the UK Research Councils allocate the majority of their funds in a bottom-up mode responding to the demands of the science community and making funding decisions on quality rather than international geographic focus. It is therefore not possible to provide exact figures on spending which relates to collaboration with Japan. However, there is active collaboration, supported by the Research Councils, in a wide range of areasincluding genome work, nano and bio-nanotechnology, climate change, sustainable development and energy technologies.
	The Office of Science and Innovation does have specific schemes to support links between UK and Japan in these areas, which are administered by the Embassy in Tokyo and which cost 120,000 over financial years 2001-02 to 2005-06.

John Lennon Airport

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the impact on local trade of the expansion of Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.

Margaret Hodge: The Department has not made any specific assessment of the impact on local trade of the expansion of Liverpool John Lennon Airport.
	However, a series of economic growth scenarios have been commissioned by local and regional stakeholders to inform economic development policy at local, sub-regional, and regional level. These all suggest that the airport will be a significant driver in the future economic prosperity of the Liverpool City region.
	The Liverpool City Region Development Plan identifies John Lennon Airport as a key asset for the North West, North Wales, North of England and the UK, providing a gateway for trade, goods and people. At a regional level, the North West Regional Economic Strategy (2006) identifies the growth of Liverpool John Lennon Airport as a key transformational action.
	The Airport has commissioned a report on the economic benefits of the Airport as part of the development of its Master Plan to 2030.

Junk Mail

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many pieces of junk mail were sent in the UK in each year since 2001.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Royal Mail produces annual statistics on the volume of unsolicited addressed direct mail it delivers. The figures for each year since 2001 are as follows:
	
		
			   Million 
			 2001 4,939 
			 2002 5,233 
			 2003 5,438 
			 2004 5,418 
			 2005 5,134 
		
	
	The Door to Door Council produces annual statistics on the volume of all unsolicited unaddressed mail delivered. The figures are as follows:
	
		
			   Million 
			 2001 9,250 
			 2002 10,170 
			 2003 11,880 
			 2004 12,560 
		
	
	Figures for 2005 are not yet available.

Labour Providers

Ian Stewart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many labour providers operate in the UK; and how many operated in  (a) 1973,  (b) 1983 and  (c) 1993.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We do not have data for the number of labour providers operating in the UK at these dates.
	Data from the Annual Business Inquiry for 2004 indicate there were 16,487 enterprises in labour recruitment and the provision of personnel; the number of enterprises involved in providing personnel as opposed to recruiting activities will be a sub-set of this.
	A survey commissioned by the DTI in 1999 and undertaken by the Bostock Marketing Group (BMG) indicated there were 9,900 employment agencies and employment businesses in operation. The DTI expect to publish a more up-to-date estimate by early 2007.
	 (a) 1973We have no data for this period which is before the Employment Agencies Act 1973 and Conduct of Employment Agencies and Employment Businesses Regulations 1976 came into force.
	 (b) 1983During the financial year 1983-84 there were a total of 7,019 licensed employment agencies and employment businesses operating in the UK.
	 (c) 1993During the financial year 1993-94 there were a total of 14,808 licensed employment agencies and employment businesses operating in the UK.

Law Society

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry about which solicitors his Department has made a formal complaint to the Law Society in the last six years.

Malcolm Wicks: Complaints to the Law Society are confidential and it would be inappropriate for me to divulge this information.

Live Web Chat

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many questions were received from the public by the Minister for Energy during the live web chat held on 13 July; how many were  (a) supportive and  (b) critical of the proposals set out in the Energy Review; what criteria were used in the choice of questions answered; and what the reasons were for running a live web chat.

Malcolm Wicks: A total of 144 questions were posed for the Minister of Energy's web chat on 13 July. The Minister answered as many questions as was possible in the one hour available. The questions answered were chosen to reflect the wide range of energy issues raised.
	While the majority of the questions related to the Energy Review, many were neither positive nor negative about the review's proposals, but instead sought further clarification.

Local Better Regulation Office

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what representations he has received from the Scottish Executive on the Local Better Regulation Office project.

Margaret Hodge: The Scottish Executive is engaging in a constructive dialogue with the DTI on the proposals DTI is developing for the Local Better Regulation Office project.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the (a) year one,  (b) year two and  (c) year three budgets are for the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Malcolm Wicks: The budgets for the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme are as follows:
	
		
			   Budget ( million) 
			 2006-07 3.5 
			 2007-08 2.0 
			 2008-09 1.0 
			 Total 6.5

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value is of household applications to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme.

Malcolm Wicks: By 17 September 2006, there had been 2.8 million worth of household applications to the Low Carbon Buildings Programme. It is important to note that not all of these projects will be offered a grant.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans he has to increase the funding available for the household stream of the Low Carbon Buildings Programme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Current grant funding for household applications is 6.5 million over the next three years. There are no current plans to increase this funding. However, we are monitoring the uptake of grants and will keep the situation under review.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his estimate is of the date on which year one household grants under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme will be allocated in full.

Malcolm Wicks: The current allocation for year one under the Low Carbon Buildings Programme Household Stream is 3.5 million. Although we have received a high number of applications, we have not made estimates of when the funding will be allocated in full, as a number of these applications may not go forward.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry on what date the EU State Aid application for his Department's Low Carbon Buildings programme was submitted.

Malcolm Wicks: EU State Aid application for Stream 2 of the Low Carbon Buildings programme was submitted on 21 December 2005.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many domestic solar hot water systems he estimates could be installed through the capital grant support to the household section of his Department's Low Carbon Buildings programme.

Malcolm Wicks: Under the Low Carbon Buildings programme household section, we have to date received 1,478 applications for domestic solar hot water systems, which is 65 per cent. of the total applications. We have not made any estimates of how many solar hot water systems could be installed going forward.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the likely take-up of the Low Carbon Buildings programme's first stream of funding in the first year; and what provision is in place to support applications if take-up exceeds the allocated fund.

Malcolm Wicks: Under the Low Carbon Buildings programme household applications, we have currently committed 3 million towards 1,676 applications.
	However, not all of these applications are likely to go forward to completion. We will keep the funding for Stream 1 under review.

Low Carbon Buildings Programme

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when the second stream of funding for the Low Carbon Buildings programme will be made available.

Malcolm Wicks: We are currently finalising the documentation to invite applications under Stream 2. However, guidance notes and building assessment forms have recently been issued to those who have registered an interest under Stream 2B.

Microgeneration

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department  (a) has spent in each of the last three years and  (b) plans to spend in 2006-07 on the promotion of micro-electricity generation; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Clear Skies programme had a 12.5 million budget over the last three years, with approximately 25 per cent. of funds supporting micro electricity generation (wind and hydro) and 75 per cent. heat. The Major Photovoltaics Demonstration programme had a 31 million budget over the last four years and the Low Carbon Buildings programme has a 80 million budget over the next three years, 1.5 million of which was brought forward to extend the Clear Skies and PV programmes.
	The amount of grant committed in each year over the last three years is as follows:
	
		
			   2003-04  2004-05  2005-06 
			 Clear Skies(1) 4,406,040 4,337,485 3,472,715 
			 MDP PV 7,950,643 8,253,471 9,425,805 
			 (1) Full budget including micro-electricity generation and heat 
		
	
	The Department plans to commit 13 million on the first phase of the Low Carbon Buildings programme (30 million) in 2006-07. In terms of the additional 50 million announced in the March 2006 budget, we are currently working up the new programme and it is too early to estimate how much will be spent in the 2006-07 tax year.

Milk

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will refer milk pricing to the forthcoming investigation into the market power of supermarkets.

Ian McCartney: The UK competition framework has established the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) and the Competition Commission (CC) as independent statutory bodies. Responsibility for deciding on the scope of the current inquiry into the grocery market rests with these bodies: the Government no longer have a role in such decisions.
	When the OFT announced its decision to refer the grocery market to the CC on 9 May it detailed the competition concerns that it felt warranted investigation. In doing so, the OFT made it clear that the CC was not limited to investigating only the issues that the OFT had identified. On 15 June, the CC published its issues statement which set out the specific questions and areas that the inquiry intends to examine. But it also noted that this did not represent a final judgment on any aspect of the investigation. A copy of the issues statement can be found on the CC's inquiry website at
	http://www.competition-commission.org.uk/inquiries/ref2006/grocery/index.htm

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many deceased claims have been made for miners in relation to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Bassetlaw constituency in the last five years, broken down by solicitor.

Malcolm Wicks: The number of deceased chronic obstructive pulmonary disease claims submitted in Bassetlaw, broken down by solicitor are in the following table.
	
		
			  Deceased claim receipts for Bassetlaw constituency by year 
			  Solicitor  2001  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006  Total 
			 1 Legal Solicitors 0 0 0 0 34 0 0 34 
			 Beresfords Solicitors 26 25 140 387 102 0 0 680 
			 Mark Gilbert Morse 33 293 21 85 31 0 0 463 
			 Wake Smith 5 2 2 247 14 0 0 270 
			 BRM Solicitors 0 3 1 81 159 0 0 244 
			 Raleys Solicitors 76 18 17 23 93 0 0 227 
			 Kidd  Spoor Harper Solicitors 9 4 25 125 37 0 0 200 
			 Graysons Solicitors 77 16 11 24 37 0 0 165 
			 The Legal Warehouse 2 0 63 66 27 0 0 158 
			 Barber  Co. 0 1 0 99 45 0 0 145 
			 Moss Solicitors 76 14 20 17 4 0 0 131 
			 Union of Democratic Mineworkers/Venside 63 10 0 13 16 0 0 102 
			 Ashton Morton Slack LLP 90 7 0 2 2 0 0 101 
			 Avalon Solicitors 1 0 2 23 71 P 0 97 
			 Delta Legal 0 0 0 1 92 0 0 93 
			 O H Parsons  Partners Solicitors 70 7 4 7 5 0 0 93 
			 Thompsons Solicitors 63 10 5 1 11 0 0 90 
			 Hugh James 4 0 0 34 23 0 0 61 
			 Randell Lloyd Jenkins  Martin 0 0 4 39 13 0 0 56 
			 Irwin Mitchell Solicitors 26 3 6 3 19 0 0 57 
			 Onyems  Partners 0 0 0 52 3 0 0 55 
			 Recompense Ltd 0 0 0 0 52 0 0 52 
			 Ingrams Solicitors 0 0 1 33 14 0 0 48 
			 Stuart Bell  Associates 7 4 4 4 27 0 0 46 
			 Birchall Blackburn 0 0 0 21 23 0 0 44 
			 Hopkins 28 0 0 0 14 0 0 42 
			 Foy  Co Solicitors 14 2 2 2 19 0 0 39 
			 Hilary Meredith Solicitors 0 0 0 5 32 0 0 37 
			 Simpson Millar Solicitors 24 2 0 0 6 0 0 32 
			 Watson Burton LLP 5 2 1 4 13 0 0 25 
			 Towells Solicitors 12 4 1 6 1 0 0 24 
			 Atteys 1 2 1 5 11 0 0 20 
			 Richmonds Solicitors 8 6 4 1 1 0 0 20 
			 Browell Smith  Co 4 0 4 1 7 1 0 17 
			 Morions Solicitors 1 1 12 2 1 0 0 17 
			 Wheelers Solicitors 0 0 0 14 2 0 0 16 
			 Meloy Whittle Robinson 0 5 5 3 2 0 0 15 
			 Keeble Hawson Moorhouse 9 1 1 2 1 0 0 14 
			 J M Skinner Solicitors 0 5 0 4 3 0 0 12 
			 Cordner Lewis Solicitors 1 0 0 0 10 0 0 11 
			 German Hamilton Solicitors 1 0 0 6 3 0 0 10 
			 Tracey Barlow Furniss  Co 4 1 0 1 2 0 0 8 
			 Gorvin Smith Fort 2 2 2 1 0 0 0 7 
			 Pannone  Partners 0 0 2 3 1 0 0 6 
			 Colemans Solicitors 0 0 5 0 0 0 0 5 
			 Ryan Carlisle Thomas Lawyers 2 0 0 0 3 0 0 5 
			 Bac Solicitors 0 0 0 1 3 0 0 4 
			 Frank Alien Pennington Solicitors 1 1 0 1 1 0 0 4 
			 Proddow  Mackay Solicitors 0 0 0 4 0 0 0 4 
			 Burroughs Day Solicitors 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 3 
			 Marrons Solicitors 0 0 1 2 0 0 0 3 
			 MLM Solicitors 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 3 
			 Robinson King Solicitors 1 1 0 1 0 0 0 3 
			 Bailey Bravo Jobling 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 
			 Bell Dallman  Co 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 2 
			 Bell Wright  Co 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 
			 DMH Stallard 0 0 1 1 0 0 0 2 
			 Emsleys Solicitors 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Hindle Campbell Solicitors 0 0 0 1 1 0 0 2 
			 Ilett  Clark Solicitors 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 
			 Reeds Solicitors 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 
			 Shaw  Co Solicitors 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 2 
			 Taylor Bracewell Solicitors 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Twigg Farnell 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 
			 Bleasdale  Co 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Brian McArdle Solicitors 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Corries Solicitors 0 1 0 11 7 0 0 19 
			 Dean Thomas  Co Solicitors 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Elliot Mather 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Endlars Solicitors 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Farleys 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Furley Page 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Hickmotts Solicitors 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Hollis  Co Solicitors 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Kites Solicitors 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Lawrence Hamblin 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 Lopian Wagner Solicitors 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 1 
			 McConville O'Neill 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Morrish  Co Solicitors 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Oakley  Davies 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Peace Revitt Solicitors 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Shacklocks Mansfield 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 
			 SIS Law 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 1 
			 Wake Smith Solicitors 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Wilson Browne Incorp. Holyoak  Co 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 1 
			 Total 758 454 374 1,474 1,118 1  4,179 
			  Note:  The above analysis is of claims that were deceased as at 17 September 2006 where the claimant postcode falls in the Bassetlaw constituency. The analysis will include claims that were alive when the claim was submitted but have since died in process.

Miners' Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many claims handlers were registered on his Department's website for Vibration White Finger and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease miners compensation cases and hearing loss cases; with how many cases each handler dealt; and what the value was of each case.

Malcolm Wicks: Since British Coal's liabilities were transferred to the Department, the claims handlers have been IRISC who were subsequently bought by Capita. They have handled about 820,000 Vibration White Finger, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary disease and hearing loss claims. Over 550,000 of these claims have been settled to date and over 3.3 billion has been paid in compensation.

Minimum Wage

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the costs to UK  (a) businesses and  (b) consumers of the October 2006 increase in the minimum wage.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Under the assumption that in the absence of an uprating the earnings of low paid employees would have remained unchanged, it is estimated that the gross increase in aggregate wage costs to business due to the October 2006 national minimum wage uprating would be around 540 million.
	However, it is unlikely there would be no change in earnings in the absence of a minimum wage increase. Under the alternative assumption that low-paid earnings would have risen in line with average earnings in the absence of any uprating (the median forecast for AEI growth in 2006 is 4.2 percent.), the Department estimates that the net increase in aggregate wage costs resulting from the October 2006 NMW increase is around 89 million. This only represents a 0.013 percent. increase in the economy's total wage bill to business.
	The DTI does not have an estimate for the costs to UK consumers resulting from the increase, although these are likely to be very small given the overall increase in total labour costs.

Minimum Wage

Jonathan Djanogly: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to link future rises in the minimum wage for adult workers to the headline rate of inflation.

Jim Fitzpatrick: We have no plans to index link or peg the NMW, as stated in our manifesto.

Ministerial Meetings

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he last met his Scottish counterpart; and what subjects were discussed.

Malcolm Wicks: Ministers meet regularly to discuss a wide range of matters.

Mobile Phones

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department has had with telephone companies on improving reception available on mobile phones in rural areas; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: DTI officials regularly meet with each of the UK's five Mobile Network Operators to discuss regulatory and policy concerns, and this includes mobile coverage across the UK.
	Under the Telecommunications Act regime (i.e. up to 2003) the Operators were required to provide Second Generation (2G) of mobile services to cover 90 per cent. of the UK population by the year 2000. For the third generation (3G) of mobile services the Operators are required under the terms of their licences to achieve coverage of 80 per cent. of the population by the end of 2007. Competition between the Operators has accelerated rollout to the vast majority of the country, and today, mobile phone services are available to 99 per cent. of the population. The Industry Regulator Ofcom is currently consulting on '3G rollout obligations'. This consultation closes on 20 October. If Members would like to respond, a link can be found at: http://www.ofcom.org.uk/consult/condocs/3g_rollout/dti
	The remaining 1 per cent. of the population is generally located in deep rural locations with very small populations and topography that often presents physical barriers to radio waves. This means that the costs incurred by the Operators to develop new infrastructure to service these areas would massively outweigh the revenue, and would prove so uneconomic that the business case to provide a service by the Operators is not sustainable. It is not Government policy to put pressure on any of the Operators to provide a service in a particular location if the commercial case does not justify it. The Universal Service Obligation ensures that there is 100 per cent. coverage of fixed line services across the UK.
	In Government's experience though, the Operators have been willing to listen to representations to extend coverage to certain areas. One way of addressing poor mobile reception is by presenting evidence of local demand to one or more of the Operators, with a view to persuading them that investing in infrastructure in that area is worth while.

Mobile Telephone Masts

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he has had any discussions with the Health and Safety Executive in relation to the potential effect of mobile telephone masts on public health.

Margaret Hodge: The Department participates in regular discussions with a wide range of Government bodies, including the Department of Health, the Health Protection Agency, devolved administrations and the Health and Safety Executive to discuss matters relating to exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and any potential effects of mobile phone masts on public health. This includes an inter-departmental liaison group on non-ionising radiation, which meets twice per year.
	Mobile phone operators ensure that mobile phone base stations comply with international EMF public exposure guidelines. The results of an independent audit of exposures around base stations can be found on the Ofcom website at:
	http://www.ofcom.org.uk/sitefinder/audit_info.
	Specific advice for the public on mobile phone base stations and health is the responsibility of the Department of Health, with expert advice from the Health Protection Agency. For further advice please see their respective websites:
	http://www.dh.gov.uk/PublicationsAndStatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidanceArticle/fs/en?CONTENT_ID=4123980chk=oh3MW8
	http: //www .hpa.org.uk/radiation/

Multinational Enterprises

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 6 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1297W, on multinational enterprises, by what process and using what criteria the National Contact Point decides which complaints justify consideration as a specific instance for inclusion in the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's annual report on the guidelines.

Ian McCartney: As noted in the answer I gave on 6 July 2006, the National Contact Point reports details of all complaints that it has decided justify consideration as a specific instance for inclusion in the OECD's annual report on the guidelines.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 5.132 of the Energy Review, Cm 6887, how much the report prepared by the Health and Safety Executive and Nuclear Installations Inspectorate on the pre-licensing assessment of candidate reactor designs cost; and whether any of those costs will be recovered from any company that puts forward proposals to build a new nuclear power plant.

Malcolm Wicks: The Health and Safety Executive produced an expert report on the health and safety risks of a number of developments in the energy sector, including an increasing need for gas storage in the UK, new demonstration projects for carbon capture and storage and its potential in the UK, increasing penetration of renewables and distributed generation in the UK and the potential for pre-licensing assessments of generic nuclear power station designs. This report was funded from existing resources.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 5.126 of the Energy Review, Cm 6887, whether the costs of the assessment of the suitability of sites to develop nuclear plants will be passed on to the companies which put forward proposals to develop new nuclear power plants at these sites.

Malcolm Wicks: Any new nuclear power stations would be proposed, developed, constructed and operated by the private sector. It is Government's role to set the right policy framework to attract investment in energy projectsa key part of this framework is the planning system. In the past Government have undertaken strategic siting assessments for offshore renewables and for the licensing of oil and gas exploration in the North Sea. The costs of this will be met by Government, as is the case with all other similar assessments, as part of their role to set the policy framework for energy investment.

Nuclear Power

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of  (a) the safety of nuclear goods transported by rail and  (b) the security of trains carrying nuclear goods through Brent.

Malcolm Wicks: The transport of radioactive material, including irradiated or spent nuclear fuel, is governed by the stringent internationally-agreed standards recommended by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the agency appointed by the United Nations to promote safe, secure and peaceful nuclear technologies worldwide. During the period of over 40 years that the IAEA regulations have been in existence, there has been no instance of death or serious injury to persons, nor significant damage to the environment, from radiological effects caused during the transport of radioactive material worldwide by all modes of transport when properly packaged and transported in conformity with those regulations.
	In 2005 the Department for Transport commissioned a survey into the radiological impact of the transport of radioactive material by road and rail. This report has sections explicitly covering the transport of irradiated nuclear fuel by rail. The report concludes that radiation doses from these transports are low. A copy of this report (Survey into the Radiological Impact of the Normal Transport of Radioactive Material in the UK by Road and Rail NRPB-W66) has been placed in the Libraries of the House and it is also available on the internet at the following address:
	http://www.hpa.org.uk/radiation/publications/w_series_reports/2005/nrpb_w66.htm
	The transportation of spent nuclear fuel is carried out in a secure manner, in accordance with stringent security regulationsthe Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR). These regulations are administered and enforced by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), who regulate the security of such movements of spent nuclear fuel.
	The security of the transportation of civil nuclear material was thoroughly reviewed following the events of 11 September 2001, and is regularly reviewed in light of the prevailing threat. OCNS is satisfied that the measures in place to prevent theft or sabotage are adequately robust, and that in the event that a credible threat were detected, appropriate action would be taken. As I am sure you will understand, it is not Government policy to disclose details of security measures taken in connection with the transportation of nuclear material.

Nuclear Power

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to publish a White Paper setting out the Government's proposals before any decision is made on whether to build new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 8 June 2006
	As we said in the 2003 Energy White Paper, before any decision to proceed with the building of nuclear power stations there will need to be the fullest public consultation and publication of a further White Paper setting out Government proposals. The recent consultation in the Energy Review was part of this process, as is the ongoing consultation on the policy framework for new nuclear build (as set out in Annexe A of The Energy Challenge, Cm 6887), which ends on 31 October 2006.
	An Energy White Paper will be published around the turn of the year.

Nuclear Power

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he plans to hold a debate in Parliament before any decision is made on whether to build new nuclear power stations; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 8 June 2006
	Should any Energy Review proposals require further legislation they would of course be subject to the usual parliamentary procedures.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the basis is for the assumption set out at paragraph 5.101 of the Energy Review, Cm 6887, that nuclear power generation will cost 38/MWh as a central case.

Malcolm Wicks: The assumptions for the cost of nuclear power generation can be found in the Nuclear Power Generation Cost Benefit Analysis and in the overview of modelling of the relative electricity generating costs of different technologies. These documents are available on the DTI Energy Review web pageunder the Nuclear Policy Framework link (www.dti.gov.uk/energy/review).

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to page 159 of the Energy Review, Cm 6887, whether he plans to recover costs from the nuclear industry for the development of the new planning proposals for nuclear installations development being produced by the Health and Safety Executive/Nuclear Installations Inspectorate mentioned.

Malcolm Wicks: No. It is a matter for the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to determine whether any such costs are recoverable and the means by which that may be done. The HSE recovers the full cost of its regulation of each licensed nuclear site from the site licensee under the Nuclear Installations Act 1965 (as amended). This includes charging applicants for new nuclear site licences for the work undertaken in processing those applications.

Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what level of stand-by power generation capacity is available when each existing nuclear power generation plant is shut down for annual routine maintenance.

Malcolm Wicks: Power station operators would normally notify their customers well in advance of any planned maintenance outages in order that demand has sufficient time to contract with new sources of supply if necessary. In its role as Great Britain system operator, moreover, National Grid seeks to hold an 'operating margin' of capacity in excess of electricity demand so as to limit the probability of inadequate generation in the short term. This operating margin varies widely between different times of the day and year; it is derived statistically by National Grid according to a number of factors such as generator availability and forecast demand. The level of the operating margin during a given period would therefore reflect any scheduled plant outages.

Nuclear Power

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the  (a) cost of and  (b) time needed to decommission each nuclear power station scheduled to close up to 2010; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) assumed responsibility for the decommissioning and clean up of the UK's civil nuclear legacy on 1 April 2005. The NDA has four operational Magnox nuclear power stations: Dungeness A, Sizewell A, Oldbury, and Wylfa; and, seven which are being decommissioned: Berkeley, Bradwell, Calder Hall, Chapelcross, Hinkley A, Hunterston A, and Trawsfynydd. The recently approved NDA Strategy contains the following assumptions about decommissioning costs, end dates and states but also signals that the NDA intends to review these in consultation with stakeholders in the near future. Details are as follows:
	
		
			  Operational Magnox  Lifetime planned closure date  End state/date  Estimated decommissioning and clean-up costs( 1)  ( million) 
			 Dungeness A (Kent) 1965-2006 Planned to cease generation end 2006 Landscaped/2111 1001.4 
			 Sizewell A (Suffolk) 1966-2006 Planned to cease generation end 2006 Delicensed/2110 870.6 
			 Oldbury (Gloucestershire) 1967-2008 Planned to cease generation end 2008 Delicensed/2118 1076.6 
			 Wylfa (Anglesey) 1971-2010 Planned to cease generation end 2010. Brownfield/2125 1006.5 
			  Non operational Magnox
			 Berkeley (Gloucestershire) 1962 to 1989 Delicensed/2083 773.7 
			 Bradwell (Essex) 1962 to 2002 Delicensed/2103 1086.6 
			 CalderHall (Cumbria) 1956 to 2003 Site cleared for delicensing/2117 1073.9 
			 Chapelcross (Dumfriesshire) 1959 to 2004 Undetermined/ 2128 1332.1 
			 Hinkley Point A (Somerset) 1965 to 2000 Delicensed/2104 1213.7 
			 Hunterston A (Ayrshire) 1964 to 1989 Delicensed/2090 1071.7 
			 Trawsfynydd (Gwynedd) 1965 to 1991 Delicensed/2096 1116.0 
			 (1 )Decommissioning and clean-up costs are based on the 2005-06 Lifecycle Baseline (LCBL)see NDA Strategy. 
		
	
	The NDA's Strategy and details of its other activities are available through its website at www.nda.gov.uk

Nuclear Power

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether  (a) the full cost of (i) management and eventual disposal of radioactive waste produced from, (ii) the decommissioning of and (iii) pre-construction safety analysis for and  (b) the full insurance liabilities for any new nuclear power stations will be paid for entirely by private investors; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: It will be for the private sector to initiate, fund, construct and operate any new nuclear power station, this includes the cost of insurance that is compulsory. Government will need to be satisfied that potential developers have put in place appropriate and robust funding structures and safeguards to deal with their full costs of decommissioning and their full share of the costs of final waste disposal.

Nuclear Power

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make it his policy to allow hon. Members a debate and a vote in the House before a decision is taken on nuclear rebuild.

Malcolm Wicks: Parliamentary approval is not required to confirm a decision by my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry (or Scottish Ministers in Scotland) for the building of power stations of any type.
	Should the Government bring forward new legislative proposals, as a result of any aspect of the Energy Review, then the House will have the opportunity to fully debate these proposals.

Nuclear Power

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what sources of evidence apart from the advice of the Office for Civil Nuclear Security were considered in preparing paragraph 5.124 on nuclear security of the Energy Review, Cm 6887.

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy Review commissioned advice from several regulatory bodies on a range of issues. The Office of Civil Nuclear Security, as the UK's nuclear security regulator, provided expert advice on nuclear security.

Nuclear Power

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects to receive the next annual report from the Nuclear Security Regulator.

Malcolm Wicks: The report was published on 8 August 2006.

Nuclear Waste

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who provides the security for trains carrying nuclear waste through Brent.

Malcolm Wicks: Direct Rail Services (DRS) handles the specialist transportation of spent nuclear fuel by rail.
	The transportation of spent nuclear fuel is carried out in a secure manner, in accordance with stringent security regulationsthe Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR). These regulations are administered and enforced by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), who regulate the security of such movements of spent nuclear fuel. A key requirement of the NISR is that all carriers of civil nuclear material submit a Transport Security Statement (TSS), which is legally binding, detailing the security policies and procedures implemented in order to prevent the theft or sabotage of civil nuclear material in transit. Before a carrier can commence the transport of civil nuclear material, the TSS has to be approved by OCNS who must be assured that the standards detailed are sufficiently robust.

Nuclear Waste

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the safety implications of individual nuclear power station operators storing nuclear waste on-site during the operating lifetime of their plants.

Malcolm Wicks: None. Oversight of the safety of waste stored at nuclear power stations is a matter for the regulators and the Health and Safety Executive in collaboration with the environment agencies.

Nuclear Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the written statement of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 54WS, on Civil Plutonium and Uranium Stocks, what locations are covered by the term 'or elsewhere' used in the document deposited in the Library.

Malcolm Wicks: The figures in the statement are compiled from information supplied by the licensed holders of such materials in the UK: British Energy, British Nuclear Group, UKAEA, Urenco and Imperial College Reactor Centre (Ascot), as well as information on the much smaller inventories of nuclear materials held at other organisations. The main locations covered by the term 'or elsewhere' are the UKAEA sites at Dounreay, Harwell, Winfrith and Windscale, and the British Nuclear Group site at Sellafield. There are also very small quantities, in total less than 3 g, held at ten other locations: Thales Optics, the National Physical Laboratory, the Science Museum, Centronic Ltd, the Health Protection Agency, the Daresbury Laboratory, GE Healthcare Ltd, the University of Birmingham, the University of Northumbria, and Serco Assurance.

Nuclear Waste

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry who is responsible for ensuring the security of trains carrying nuclear waste through Brent.

Malcolm Wicks: Direct Rail Services (DRS) handles the specialist transportation of spent nuclear fuel by rail.
	The transportation of spent nuclear fuel is carried out in a secure manner, in accordance with stringent regulationthe Nuclear Industries Regulations 2003 (NISR). These regulations are administered and enforced by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), who regulate the security of such movements of spent nuclear fuel.

Nuclear Waste

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the security of trains carrying nuclear waste through Brent.

Malcolm Wicks: The transportation of spent nuclear fuel is carried out in a secure manner, in accordance with stringent security regulationsthe Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR). These regulations are administered and enforced by the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), who regulate the security of such movements of spent nuclear fuel.
	The security of the transportation of civil nuclear material was thoroughly reviewed following the events of September 11 2001, and is regularly reviewed in the light of the prevailing threat. OCNS is satisfied that the measures in place to prevent theft or sabotage are adequately robust, and that in the event that a credible threat were detected, appropriate action would be taken.

Nuclear Waste

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether the agency given responsibility to deliver the proposals put forward by the Committee on Radioactive Waste Management for the long-term management of radioactive waste will be able to recover costs, pro rata, from any company that puts forward proposals to build and operate a new nuclear power plant for the preparatory work done to establish a safe strategy to handle nuclear waste.

Malcolm Wicks: The Committee on Radioactive Waste Management's final report was published on 31 July. The Government will respond in a formal statement to Parliament as will the devolved Administrations, setting out how work to manage long-term waste will be taken forward.
	The long-term waste management solution developed by Government will factor in waste from new build. There will be an assessment of how new build affects the cost of delivering the national waste management solution and the private sector will pay a charge covering the full and equitable costs of managing the waste generated over the expected life of each new power station.
	Government intend to appoint an individual with senior management or financial experience of major capital investment projects to lead the development of arrangements for the costs associated with new build waste management. What is clear is that the private sector would meet their full share of long-term waste management costs of any new nuclear power stations.

Offshore Wind Projects

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his Department's timetable is for round 3 offshore wind projects; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We do not currently have a timetable for any activity beyond round 2 although we are aware of interest and we have begun exploratory dialogue with the Crown Estate. However, the progress and timetable will depend on the outcome of the proposals for a Marine Bill.

Offshore Wind Projects

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps his Department has taken to start the round 3 offshore wind programme; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: We are concentrating on the delivery of the remaining round 1 and round 2 offshore wind farm projects. We are aware of the interest beyond round 2 and have begun to explore options with the Crown Estate for further development. Out intention is to take a long term view over the next 10-15 years and feed into the proposed Marine Bill.

Offshore Wind Projects

Graham Stuart: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions his Department has had with Governments of other EU member states regarding the creation of an offshore wind grid in the North sea; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: This is one of a number of common issues that member states looking to develop offshore wind farms are discussing through the process that has included the workshops held in Egmond aan Zee in 2004 and Copenhagen last year, and which will continue at next year's planned follow-up meeting in Berlin.
	The declarations from the England and Copenhagen meetings can be found at:
	http://www.ewea.org/fileadmin/ewea_documents/documents/policy/external_documents/041001_egmond_declaration.pdf
	http://offshore.windpower.org/media(929,1033)/Copenhagen_Strategy.pdf.

Parliamentary Questions

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will answer question 72393, on an appeal to the Information Tribunal, tabled on 16 May 2006 by the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare.

Jim Fitzpatrick: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 24 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1033W.

Pharmaceutical Research and Development

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the amount that parallel import traders invested in pharmaceutical research and development in the last financial year.

Margaret Hodge: The DTI research and development (R  D) scoreboard contains data on global and UK companies' investment in R  D. As far as we are aware, none of the companies in the 2005 R  D scoreboard is primarily engaged in the parallel trade of pharmaceutical products. This report is available and can be downloaded at www.innovation.gov.uk

Phoenix Fund

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much has been allocated to the Phoenix Fund in each year of the Comprehensive Spending Review; how that funding has been distributed to support the objectives of the fund; what discussions have taken place regarding continuation of the fund; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: No decisions have yet been taken about allocations for the Comprehensive Spending Review, however, as the Phoenix Fund is due to end in March 2008 it is envisaged that any future spend on objectives supported by the Fund would be allocated to separate funding streams.

Post Office Card Account

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what guidance he has issued on the advice to be given by the Post Office to pensioners with Post Office card accounts in relation to the merits of pension credit payments being made directly into a bank account.

Jim Fitzpatrick: None. Post Office Ltd is developing its strategy to enable as many of the existing 4.3 million Post Office card account customers who want to use the Post Office to receive their benefits can do so beyond 2010. The company will be undertaking a small-scale trial to inform customers of a current savings account option which may be suitable for a small number of customers.

Post Offices

David Evennett: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) post offices and  (b) sub-post offices there were in (i) 1997-98 and (ii) 2004-05 in (A) Greater London and (B) the London borough of Bexley.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The question the hon. Member has asked relates to operational matters for which Post Office Ltd. is directly responsible. Post Office Ltd. have provided the following figures relating to the numbers of post office branches in Greater London and the London borough of Bexley.
	
		
			  Area  Number 
			  Greater London  
			  2001-02  
			 Total number of Post Office branches 1,209 
			 Total number of sub-Post Office branches 1,064 
			  2004-05  
			 Total number of Post Office branches 867 
			 Total number of sub-Post Office branches 738 
			   
			  London borough of Bexley  
			  2001-02  
			 Total number of Post Office branches 45 
			 Total number of sub-Post Office branches 43 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Total number of Post Office branches 26 
			 Total number of sub-Post Office branches 24

Postwatch

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what factors were taken into account when the decision was made not to give Postwatch power to veto changes to the Post Office network.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Postwatch was created as a strengthened consumer body under the Postal Services Act 2000 with the role of providing advice and information, representing views of postal users, and making proposals in support of consumer interests. Matters and decisions relating to the operations of the Post Office network are the direct responsibility of the management of Post Office Ltd. though changes to the network are subject to advice and representations from Postwatch.

Regional Development Agencies

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what percentage of total income was spent on administration by each of the regional development agencies in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: The following table shows the percentage of annual budget each regional development agency has spent on administration from their creation in financial year 1999-2000 to 2005-06 and the estimated percentage for 2006-07.
	
		
			  RDA administration costs as a percentage of annual budgets( 1) 
			  Percentage 
			   1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07 
			 Advantage West Midlands 7 7 6 7 7 9 7 7 
			 East of England Development Agency 15 13 11 10 11 12 9 8 
			 East Midlands Development Agency 17 11 9 10 10 11 10 10 
			 London Development Agency  3 4 6 5 9 8 n/a(2) 
			 North West Development Agency 8 9 5 8 10 9 10 10 
			 One North East 10 11 6 10 10 10 9 9 
			 South East England Development Agency 8 9 7 13 12 15 11 11 
			 South West Development Agency 17 14 11 14 16 14 13 13 
			 Yorkshire Forward 6 7 5 8 7 6 7 6 
			 (1) The income figure used is the Government grant to the Agency.  (2) The London Development Agency's administration budget is subject to the approval of their 2006-07 Corporate Plan by the Mayor.

Renewable Energy

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will simplify the process whereby the biomass content of the waste stream as part of the energy from waste process is measured for eligibility for Renewables Obligations certificates.

Malcolm Wicks: As administrator of the Renewables Obligation on behalf of DTI, Ofgem is responsible for agreeing fuel measurement procedures to establish eligibility for Renewables Obligation certificates. Ofgem is working with industry and the Government through the Biomass Working Group to reach agreement on acceptable fuel measurement procedures for biomass and energy from waste, following the introduction of changes to eligibility of waste under the Renewables Obligation in April 2006.

Renewable Energy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many renewable obligation certificates were issued in Scotland in  (a) 2004 and  (b) 2005; and how many have been issued so far in 2006.

Malcolm Wicks: The amount of renewable obligation certificates (ROCs) that were issued in Scotland for the years in question were:
	
		
			   Amount 
			 2004 3,117,750 
			 2005 3,623,098 
			 2006 (1)748,940 
			 (1) Up to May

Renewable Energy

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many  (a) biomass generating stations,  (b) hydroelectric plants and  (c) wind energy generating stations in Scotland have been issued with a renewable obligation certificate.

Malcolm Wicks: In Scotland, two biomass generating stations, 118 hydroelectric generating stations and 53 wind generating stations have been issued with renewable obligation certificates.

Renewable Energy

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much the Government spent on research into alternative and renewable sources of energy in 2005.

Malcolm Wicks: Final figures for Government investment in research on alternative and renewable sources of energy are not yet available for financial year 2005-06. Available information includes: the DTI Technology Programme which spent 14.5 million on low carbon energy technologies, the Research Councils which spent 15.8 million on renewable energy and the Carbon Trust which spent 7.5 million.
	Funding for (non nuclear) R and D for renewables and energy efficiency was also provided by DfT, DEFRA, the Scottish Executive, Welsh Assembly Government, the Department for Trade, Enterprise and Investment in Northern Ireland and the Regional Development Agencies.
	In addition, the DTI also supports a range of demonstration programmes such as offshore wind, low-carbon buildings and microgeneration, bio-energy, marine, carbon abatement technologies and hydrogen and fuel cells.

Renewable Heat Obligation

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to paragraph 3.46 of the Energy Review, Cm 6887, what mechanisms he intends to establish to facilitate the contribution of suggested solutions to the practical problem of establishing a renewable heat obligation.

Malcolm Wicks: DTI and DEFRA remain open to suggestions on appropriate mechanisms to bring forward an increased contribution from renewable heat. We will be particularly keen to engage with key interested parties on this issue as we develop the Biomass Strategy to be published by April 2007.

Research Councils

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the merger between the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council and the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The Government announced on 25 July their plans to create a new Large Facilities Council through the merger of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council and the Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils. This followed a consultation on proposals. The creation of this Council would allow the UK to take a more strategic and integrated approach to investments in large scientific facilities, both nationally and internationally.

Research Councils

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proportion of the  (a) Arts and Humanities Research Council,  (b) Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council,  (c) Council for the Central Laboratory of Research Councils,  (d) Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council,  (e) Economic and Social Research Council,  (f) Medical Research Council,  (g) Natural Environment Research Council and  (h) Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council budget was spent on administration costs in 2005-06; and what proportion of the funding grant this represented in each case.

Jim Fitzpatrick: The following table shows the proportion of the total budget spent on administration costs in 2005-06 and the proportion of Government funding spent on the same. The information is taken from expected outturn figures for 2005-06 for each of the Research Councils. This was published in the DTI Departmental Report 2006, Annexe B3, which can be found at: http://reporting.dti.gov.uk/cgi-bin/rr.cgi/http://www.dti.gov.uk/files/file28518.pdf
	
		
			   Research Councils 
			  000 
			   AHRC  BBSRC  CCLRC  EPSRC  ESRC  NERC  MRC  PPARC 
			 Central administration spend 3,586 10,000 (1)n/a 23,054 6,851 21,366 17,437 5,461 
			 Resource/capital budget 68,846 326,364 292,921 575,010 123,712 371,092 486,539 306,566 
			 Proportion of administration costs to Government funding (percentage) 5.21 3.06 n/a 4.01 5.54 5.76 3.58 1.78 
			 Total budget(2) 86,769 341,294 368,618 575,687 136,298 417,273 571,076 343,221 
			 Proportion of administration costs to total budget (percentage) 4.13 2.93 n/a 4.00 5.03 5.12 3.05 1.59 
			  Notes: 1. This figure is not stated in the departmental report separately. 2. Includes financing by third party income.

Retail Shops (Scottish Islands)

Alistair Carmichael: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of independent retail shops which  (a) opened and  (b) closed in (i) Orkney, (ii) Shetland and (iii) the Highlands and Islands in each year since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: Value added tax (VAT) registrations and de-registrations are the best official guide to the pattern of business start-ups and closures. DTI data on the number of VAT retail business registrations and de-registrations in (i) Orkney council area, (ii) Shetland council area and (iii) the Highlands and Islands from 1997 to 2004 are shown in the following table.
	VAT registration and de-registration data do not capture all business activity.
	Businesses are unlikely to be registered if their turnover falls below the compulsory VAT threshold, which has risen in each year since 1997. Similarly, businesses that de-register may not have closed. In the retail sector 63 per cent. of enterprises in the UK (200,000 out of 320,000) were registered for VAT at the start of 2004.
	
		
			  VAT registrations and de-registrations in retail( 1)  in Orkney, Shetland and the Highlands and Islands, 1997-2004 
			  Number 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			  Orkney 
			 Registrations 5 5 0 5 5 5 5 5 
			 De-registrations 5 5 10 5 5 5 5 5 
			  
			  Shetland 
			 Registrations 5 10 5 10 5 5 5 5 
			 De-registrations 10 5 5 10 5 5 10 5 
			  
			  Highlands and Islands 
			 Registrations 100 130 120 110 100 130 110 105 
			 De-registrations 155 160 140 145 110 125 130 125 
			 (1 )Standard Industrial Classification 52, retail trade (except of motor vehicles), repair of personal and household goods.   Note: Figures are rounded to the nearest 5 for data protection reasons.   Source:  Small Business Service figures based on data from the ONS Inter Departmental Business Register.

Royal Mail

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he will make an announcement on employee share ownership of the Royal Mail.

Alistair Darling: Royal Mail has submitted proposals on an employee share ownership scheme and these proposals are currently under consideration by the Department. No decisions have been made on whether to introduce a share scheme.

Small Business Service

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether an independent assessment has been made of the effectiveness of the Small Business Service; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: The National Audit Office published its report on support for small business, which focused on the work of the Small Business Service, in May this year. The Department has also carried out an internal review following informal consultation with the main business representative organisations. We shall be making a further statement shortly.

Solar Energy

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how many photovoltaic cells were installed in each of the last five years; what total subsidy was provided for their installation; and what estimate he has made of the amount of electricity generated from them.

Malcolm Wicks: The main Government support programmes for photovoltaic (PV) installations over the last five years were the Major PV Demonstration programme with a budget of 31 million, which closed to applications in March 2006. PV Field Trials with a budget of 10 million. PV will continue to receive support, along with other microgeneration technologies, through the new 80 million Low Carbon Buildings Programme over the next three years. It is not possible to provide detailed information on the PV installations under the Low Carbon Buildings programme, which was launched in April 2006.
	For the PV programme and Field Trials we do not hold information on the number of cells installed, as this was not a measure used. The approximate number of kWp (size of system) installed under the Major PV Demonstration programme and the PV Field trials are set out as follows.
	 Major PV Demonstration programme
	
		
			  Stream 1 Household applications 
			   KWp  Number of projects  kWh/yr 
			 2002 176.07 94 266,025.80 
			 2003 497.17 228 777,359.80 
			 2004 786.78 339 1,209,289 
			 2005 1,188.85 483 1,836,101 
			 2006 193.4 80 306,417.50 
		
	
	
		
			  Stream 2 Large-Scale projects 
			   KWp  Number of projects  KWh/yr 
			 2002 530.22 17 396,146 
			 2003 1,324.64 43 1,035,728.52 
			 2004 509.1 21 405,943.47 
			 2005 19.6 1 15,934.80 
		
	
	In terms of subsidy levels under the Major PV Demonstration programme, for Stream 1 grant support is up to 50 per cent. of eligible costs. For Stream 2 the grant paid to applicants depends on the type of system installed (bolt-on system or an integrated roof tile system) and the date at which the grant was approved for funding. Information on how much grant is paid per kWp for each type of PV system is in the following table.
	
		
			   /kWp 
			  From June 2003  
			 Bolt-on 3,000 
			 Integrated 4,250 
			   
			  From 19 July 2004  
			 Bolt-on 2,800 
			 Integrated 4,000 
			 Semi-integrated 3,400 
			 Glass/glass 5,000 
			   
			  From 1 March 2005  
			 Bolt-on 2,500 
			 Integrated 3,500 
			 Semi-integrated 3,000 
			 Glass/glass 5,000 
		
	
	 Field Trials
	Total installed capacity 1.4MW
	Total spend to date is 7.3 million (direct to sites)to be 7.8 million by the end. This is around 80 per cent. of the total value (approximately 9.4 million) of the PV Systems installed. The balance of the 10 million for the PV Field Trials has been taken up by the detailed monitoring required. We do not have precise information on output as yet. However, current estimates suggest in the region of 800MWh pa. This is based on a figure of 750kWhpa/kW for crystalline silicon at an optimum elevation. However, as many of sites were not installed in this way a 25 per cent. reduction has been applied. A rough estimate of total energy produced to date from the Field Trials is 2,000MWh, based on the average project generating for 2.5 years. Subsidy on the PV Field Trials was in the region of 80 per cent.

Solar Photovoltaics

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much of the budget for his Department's solar photovoltaics major demonstration programme remains unspent.

Malcolm Wicks: As at 30 June 2006, 11,217,895 of the 31,750,000 budget for the major PV demonstration programme remains unspent.

Solar Photovoltaics

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value is of grants allocated but not yet paid under stream 2 of his Department's solar photovoltaics major demonstration programme.

Malcolm Wicks: The total value of grants allocated but not yet paid under stream 2 of the Major PV demonstration programme is 10,171,566. Payment is subject to the completion of projects and submission of the relevant documentation.

Solar Photovoltaics

Ian Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value is of grants paid by his Department under  (a) stream 1 and  (b) stream 2 of the Solar photovoltaics major demonstration programme.

Malcolm Wicks: The total value of grants paid up to 30 June 2006 under the major PV demonstration programme was 8,118,233 for stream 1 (household applicants) and 9,541,387 for stream 2 (large scale projects).

Solar Photovoltaics

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total value was of household grant allocations made in the final full year of his Department's Clearskies and Solar PV Major Demonstration programmes.

Malcolm Wicks: The total value of household grant allocations in the financial year 2005-06 for Clearskies and Solar PV Major Demonstration programmes was as follows:
	
		
			million 
			 Clearskies 2.1 
			 Solar PV Major Demonstration 4.5

Spam E-mails

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what change there has been in the number of spam e-mails since the passage of the Communications Act 2003.

Margaret Hodge: It is not possible to provide this information as the Government do not collect data on the number or nature of e-mails distributed in the UK.

State Aid

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the funding for  (a) the Assisted Area Status programme and  (b) other state aid schemes by the EU since 2000; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: (a) The Department of Trade and Industry is currently undertaking an evaluation of the Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) and Selective Finance for Investment in England (SFIE) programmes, the largest schemes operating under the Assisted Areas map. This evaluation is due to be published in the near future.
	 (b) The Government do not have explicit rules requiring the compilation of reports on the effectiveness of State Aid, but the Departmental financial rules deriving from the Treasury's Green Book do require that all Government spending schemes (whether State Aid or not) are subject to a scrutiny and appraisal process to ensure that they effectively achieve their objectives.

State Aid

Andrew Love: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what methodology was used to determine the Assisted Area Status draft map published in July; and if he will make a statement.

Margaret Hodge: A description of the methodology used in determining the draft Assisted Areas map can be found in the document 'Review of Assisted AreasStage 2The Government's Response and Draft Assisted Areas Map', available on the DTI website and in the Libraries of the House.
	Further details on the indicators used for prioritising Assisted Area coverage are available on the DTI website, in the document 'Draft Assisted Areas Map (2007-2013): Further Details on Data and Analysis'. The detailed data for all Great Britain wards are also available on the DTI website in the document 'Assisted Areas ReviewWard Level Data'. All three documents are available at:http://www.dti.gov.uk/regional/assisted-areas/assisted-areas-review/page24618.html.

Stem Cell Research

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry which organisations have received grants under the Department's technology programme relating to stem cell research since May 2005.

Jim Fitzpatrick: Details of individual collaborative research projects supported under the Technology Programme are not released by DTI until the project consortium has formally accepted the terms of the grant offer letter. Projects led by the following organisations have been offered grants through the Technology Programme for projects relating to stem cell research since May 2005: Avecia Ltd, Axordia Ltd, VASTox plc. Details of several other projects will be released when formal agreement of their grant offers is reached.

Tidal Power

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions  (a) he and  (b) his Department has had regarding the generation of tidal power from the Severn estuary; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: During the course of the recent Energy Review we received a range of views on tidal generation, including representations by the Severn Tidal Power Group(1) on their plans for a Severn Barrage, which could provide around 5 per cent. of current UK electricity demand by 2020 and cost in the region of 14 billion. We also received representations from a number of the Environmental Non-Government Organisations, that raised strong concerns, regarding such a scheme, in view of the environmental designations that apply to the Severn Estuary.
	We are interested in improving our understanding of how to make best use of the potential tidal resource in UK waters. Therefore, together with the Welsh Assembly Government, we are working with the Sustainable Development Commission, the South West Regional Development Agency and other key interested parties to explore the issues arising on the tidal resource in the UK, including the Severn Estuary, including potential costs and benefits of development using a range of tidal technologies and their public acceptability.
	(1.)The Severn Tidal Power Group is a joint venture of four large power engineering and construction companies: Alstom, Balfour Beatty, Sir Robert McAlpine and Taylor Woodrow.

Underground Coal Gasification

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the potential for underground coal gasification since the Department's feasibility study in 2004; and why the Energy Review of July 2006 did not refer to underground coal gasification.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 25 July 2006
	The Department's Carbon Abatement Technologies Strategy for Fossil Fuel Use, published in June 2005, assessed the possibility of using underground coal gasification (UCG). This concluded that this technology, whilst it had longer term potential, would need to be deployed with carbon capture and storage so as to significantly reduce, if not eliminate, the carbon dioxide emissions which would be associated with it. The Department is therefore keeping a watching brief on the development of those key enabling technologies which would permit its deployment in the future.

Underground Coal Gasification

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if the Coal Forum will discuss the potential for underground coal gasification; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 25 July 2006
	As stated in the Energy Review Report further information about the forum's remit and particulars will be announced shortly. We will need to take views on how the participants in the Coal Forum will wish to address underground coal gasification within their remit.

Underground Coal Gasification

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what proposals he has to fund a major trial of underground coal gasification; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 25 July 2006
	The Department is currently part-funding a feasibility study by Heriot-Watt University in the Firth of Forth area and therefore continues to keep a watching brief on the development of the key enabling technologies for underground coal gasification (UCG). There are currently no plans to fund any major trials of UCG.

Uranium

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to the answer of 9 January 2006 to the hon. Member for Tunbridge Wells,  Official Report, columns 298-9W, on uranium, what assessment he has made as part of the Energy Review analysis of the long-term availability of high-grade uranium ore to the nuclear industry.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department has assessed that uranium resources are sufficient to meet future energy demands at current and increased levels. We do not expect higher-grade resources to be depleted in the near future. The Cigar Lake mine in Canada, due to begin production in 2007, has an average grade of 18 per cent. uranium, showing that high-grade deposits are still being discovered.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much his Department has spent on the implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: This question cannot be answered without incurring disproportionate cost.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with business regarding the implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive.

Malcolm Wicks: Throughout the review of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive, announced in December 2005, and the informal consultation period, my Department has been in very close contact with businesses and business representatives to ensure that their concerns are taken into account. I set up a WEEE Advisory Group of business and trade association representatives to provide a further mechanism for business to input to the process and to allow stakeholders and Government to work together to ensure an effective and workable implementation of the directive. In addition, I have personally received representations from stakeholders on a range of issues. Now that the Government have launched a formal consultation on the WEEE directive, business has another opportunity to input into the development of the WEEE Regulations in the UK.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consult hon. Members on the implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The statutory instrument for implementing the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive will be laid before Parliament 21 days before entering into force and Members will have 40 days to raise objections in line with standard procedures.

Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive

Gregory Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what recent discussions he has had with EU officials on the implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment directive.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Commission has been kept fully informed on the progress of the implementation of the waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) directive. The Department has sent regular updates to the Commission and the consultation documents have also been forwarded to the Commission. In addition to this, the Department has sent a response to the Request for Information which forms part of the Commission's review of the WEEE directive which is due to conclude in 2008 and in which we intend to play an active role. Officials from the Department have also attended the regular Technical Adaptation Committee meetings which bring together representatives from all the member states and the Commission.

Waste Management

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what incentives to local authorities to develop anaerobic digestion of wastes as part of local distributed generation of electricity were examined as part of the Energy Review.

Malcolm Wicks: The Energy Review was a high level and long-term review. It laid out a very substantial programme of action in relation to low carbon buildings and low carbon government, including a process for upgrading the Code for Sustainable Homes and the Building Regulations, a feasibility study into making the Thames Gateway a carbon neutral area, a new duty and powers on the Mayor of London in relation to climate change, and a strong statement from the Planning Minister encouraging local authorities to act on renewable energy. The review also announced a comprehensive review with Ofgem of all the barriers and incentives that impact on distributed generation, and a review by the Office of Science and Innovation of the long-term potential of distributed generation as an alternative or supplement to centralised generation. The review did not look at incentives on local authorities to develop any specific technology, including anaerobic digestion of wastes.

Weights and Measures

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry pursuant to his answer of 22 May 2006 to the hon. Member for Brentwood and Ongar, (Mr. Pickles) Official Report, columns 1465-6W, on weights and measures, if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidance provided to the Local Authorities Co-ordinating Office on Regulatory ServicesLACORS.

Ian McCartney: I have placed a copy of the guidance provided to LACORS, which was in the form of a letter from the Chief Executive of The National Weights and Measures Laboratory dated 22 June 2004, in the Libraries of the House.

Wind Power

Alan Duncan: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the continuity of supply of power from  (a) onshore and  (b) offshore wind farms.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK has one of the best wind profiles in Europe, with the potential to supply a significant portion of our energy needs. It currently offers the best, and most cost-effective, potential in the short to medium term for expansion of renewable energy, ahead of solar, biomass, wave/tidal and geothermal. The UK renewable resource is huge and there are no technically insurmountable challenges to dealing with intermittency.
	The geographical dispersion of wind farms means that the probability of having no wind across the entire country is extremely low. A report by the Environmental Change Institute of the University of Oxfordon behalf of the DTIfound that:
	Wind power availability is greater during winter than at other times of the year, and is on average stronger during the day than overnight;
	Wind power delivers around two and a half times as much electricity during periods of high electricity demand as during low demand periods;
	Low wind speed conditions affecting 90 per cent. or more of the UK would occur in around one hour every five years during winter;
	The chance of wind turbines shutting down due to high winds speed conditions is very rarehigh winds affecting 40 per cent. or more of the UK would occur in around one hour every 10 years.
	A copy of their report is available from http://www.eci.ox.ac.uk/renewables/ukwind

HEALTH

Abortions

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which 10 primary care organisations had the  (a) highest and  (b) lowest abortion rates in England per 1,000 women aged 15 to 44 years in 2005.

Caroline Flint: The information is set out in the following table.
	
		
			  PCTs with the 10 highest and 10 lowest abortion rates, 2005 
			   Primary care organisation  Rate per 1,000 women resident aged 15 to 44 ASR( 1) 
			 5JH Cambridge City 9 
			 5KC Durham and Chester-le-Street 10 
			 5LK South Huddersfield 10 
			 5JJ South Cambridgeshire 10 
			 5F3 West Lancashire 11 
			 5GH North Hertfordshire and Stevenage 11 
			 5JT Central Suffolk 11 
			 5GN Uttlesford 11 
			 SHE Fylde 11 
			 5G1 Southern Norfolk 11 
			 5C9 Haringey 33 
			 5NC Waltham Forest 33 
			 5A8 Greenwich 34 
			 5C5 Newham 36 
			 5C3 City and Hackney 36 
			 5C2 Barking and Dagenham 36 
			 5K5 Brent 37 
			 5LF Lewisham 40 
			 5LD Lambeth 42 
			 5LE Southwark 45 
			 (1) Rates for PCOs are based on 2004 mid year population estimates.

Acupuncture

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidance she has issued to allied health professionals regulated by the Health Professions Council on the provision of acupuncture treatment to patients.

Andy Burnham: Decision making on individual clinical interventions, using either complementary or more orthodox treatments, is a matter for primary care trusts and local national health service service providers. There are no centrally held records on what complementary medicines are provided by the NHS or how much is spent on their provision.
	When making any clinical decision, general practitioners are expected to consider safety and effectiveness. In 2000, the Department produced an information pack for both primary care groups and primary care clinicians to provide a basic source of reference on complementary medicine and support individual clinical judgement.

Agency Staff

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what average hourly rate her Department paid to employment agencies for agency staff in each year since 1999, broken down by agency.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not collect information that would provide such an analysis of agency staff. As such, the information is not available in the format requested and could only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Alcohol Dependency

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much funding has been made available to treat alcohol dependency in each strategic health authority area in each of the last 10 years; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: This information is not held centrally. However the estimated annual spend on specialist treatment for 2003-04 is 217 million.

Alimta

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if she will ask the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence to review its decision on Alimta;
	(2)  what recent research she has  (a) commissioned and  (b) evaluated on the cost effectiveness of Alimta; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) is currently conducting an appraisal of pemetrexed disodium (Alimta) for the treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma. Alimta is licensed for this indication and there are currently no national restrictions on the prescribing of this drug.
	NICE published its Final Appraisal Determination on Alimta for mesothelioma on 26 June. This does not constitute NICE's final guidance to the national health service and consultees were given until 10 July to lodge an appeal. I understand that two appeals have been received and a hearing will take place on 27 October.
	The Department has not commissioned or evaluated any research on the cost effectiveness of Alimta.

Ambulance Service

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average response time to an emergency call to the Ambulance Service was in each NHS trust area in each year since 1990.

Rosie Winterton: The Department collects ambulance response time data by ambulance trust and in relation to response time requirements rather than by average response time. Therefore, the information requested is not centrally collected in the required format.
	The data that the Department does collect on ambulance response times have been published on an annual basis in the statistical bulletin, 'Ambulance services, England'. These documents are all available in the Library and from 1998-99 they have been published on the Department's website at:
	www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/36/79/04113679.pdf

Ambulance Trusts

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the timetable is for the regionalisation of ambulance trusts; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Following a 14-week consultation, 25 national health service ambulance trusts were dissolved, and nine new ambulance trusts were established on 1 July 2006. There are now 12 NHS ambulance trusts in England. In addition, the Isle of Wight Healthcare Primary Care Trust provides ambulance services for the Isle of Wight.

Bed Occupancy

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS hospital trusts were operating with bed occupancy levels higher than 82 per cent. in the most recent 12 month period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: Data on average bed occupancy levels is published on the Department's website at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data_requests/download/beds_open_overnight/bed_05_detail.xls.
	These data are available by national health service trust and the most recent data are for financial year 2004-05. Copies have been placed in the Library.

Cancelled Operations

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled on  (a) the day of and  (b) the day after admission in each quarter of the last 10 years for which figures are available, broken down by NHS (i) trust and (ii) hospital; and how many of the patients involved were not readmitted within a month.

Andy Burnham: Data on the number of operations cancelled by the hospital at the last minute for non-clinical reasons are published on the Department's website at:
	www.performance.doh.gov.uk/hospitalactivity/data_requests/cancelled_operations.htm.
	Copies are available from the Library.
	A last minute cancellation is a cancellation on the day the patient was due to arrive, after the patient has arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation/surgery. Data are not collected separately on the number of operations cancelled on  (a) the day of and  (b) the day after admission.
	All patients whose operations are cancelled by the hospital at the last minute should be offered a new operation date within 28 days. Under the cancelled operations guarantee, if the national health service trust is unable to treat the patient within this 28 day period then it must offer the patient treatment elsewhere at a time and hospital of the patient's choice. If the patient does choose to have their treatment elsewhere, then the original NHS trust must fund this treatment.
	Data on the number of patients not admitted within 28 days of a last minute cancellation are also published on the aforementioned website. This is available broken down by NHS trust and strategic health authority, and dates back to 1997-96.

Carers

Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how many  (a) carers of people with a learning disability,  (b) children with a learning disability and  (c) adults with a learning disability in Gateshead and Sunderland received a short break service in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how many hours short break service, on average, were provided on behalf of people with a learning disability in Gateshead and Sunderland who receive the care component of disability living allowance at the  (a) highest rate,  (b) middle rate and  (c) lowest rate;
	(3)  how much in each of the last three years was spent on short break provision in Gateshead and Sunderland; and how many hours break this provided in each year.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not held centrally. It is the responsibility of local commissioners to ensure appropriate provision of services to meet their community's needs.

Cervical Cancer

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps her Department is taking to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The national health service cervical screening programme (NHSCSP) was introduced in 1988 and women aged 25 to 64 are invited for a free cervical screening test every three to five years. Women over 65 are invited if any of their previous three tests were not clear or if they have never been screened.
	Cervical screening is not a test for cancer but for abnormalities which, if left undetected and untreated, may develop into cancer. Early detection by screening and follow-up treatment can prevent around 80 per cent. of cervical cancers developing.
	In 2004-05, 80.3 per cent. of eligible women in England had a cervical screening test result at least once in the last five years(1). 3.6 million women were screened(2) and laboratories reported four million tests. 124,000 women were referred following abnormal results. Experts estimate that the NHSCSP is now saving up to 5,000 lives a year(3).
	Following an appraisal by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2003, the cervical screening programme in England is currently being modernised with the introduction of liquid based cytology (LBC), which offers a new way to prepare screening test samples for examination in the laboratory.
	NICE concluded LBC will reduce the number of unsatisfactory tests and improve the speed with which slides can be read. Due to a large retraining programme, full implementation is expected by 2008.
	As of June 2006 over 50 per cent. of local screening programmes had implemented LBC or were in the process of retraining.
	The Government are also committed to speeding up the results of cervical screening, and officials are working with key stakeholders on the best way of taking this forward.
	 Notes:
	1 Department of Health Statistical Bulletin, Cervical Screening Programme, England: 2004-05
	2 Department of Health Statistical Bulletin, Cervical Screening Programme, England: 2004-05
	3 Peto et al, Lancet 2004; 364: 249-56

Child Obesity

Paul Murphy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent discussions  (a) she and  (b) her Department has had on measures to tackle obesity amongst children through (i) better diet and (ii) exercise in schools.

Caroline Flint: The national healthy schools programme now has four mandatory requirements for schools to satisfy and gain healthy school status, which are healthy eating, physical activity, emotional health and personal and social health education. The programme is on track to achieve both of the targets set out in 'Choosing Health'; to have half of all schools to be 'Healthy Schools' by December 2006 with all schools working towards healthy school status by 2009.
	The school fruit and vegetable scheme continues to give all four to six-year-olds in schools and attached nurseries a free piece of fruit and vegetable a day. We are also in discussion with the youth sports trust to consider the introduction of pedometers in schools on a larger scale. The Department's regional workforce, together with the school food trust, is now working to support schools in developing whole school food policies and addressing obesity issues.
	In addition, we will be considering the local data from weighing and measuring school children, which should be received from primary care trusts in autumn 2006. This should enable us to better target areas with high levels of overweight and obese children.

Choose and Book

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information is provided to patients when they are asked to choose a secondary care appointment under Choose and Book.

Ivan Lewis: Information for patients on choice and booking is available on the www.nhs.uk website and inpatient information booklets tailored to each primary care trust (PCT) area. Patients are able to access generic advice on the issues to consider when making a choice of provider, and details of the choice options available. The provider options are accompanied by comparative performance information taken from the Healthcare Commission's performance indicator. The information is available in a range of alternative formats such as Braille, sign language video, audio, large print and in 18 different languages.
	PCTs have been asked to provide additional local information and support for patients in their areas. There is also a patient opinion website at www.patientopinion.orq.uk/ where patients can access the views of others about individual providers.
	We know that patients want more information on clinical quality to inform their choices and are working closely with clinical leaders and key stakeholders to develop relevant, robust indicators.

Clinical Education Programmes

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent changes have been made to copyright permissions for students on clinical education programmes.

Margaret Hodge: I have been asked to reply.
	No changes have been made to copyright law recently. Under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 fair dealing with certain works, including literary works, for the purpose of non-commercial research or private study does not infringe copyright. Exceptions to copyright are under consideration as part of the current independent Review of Intellectual Property led by Andrew Gowers. The review will report to the Government in the autumn.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many isolates of clostridium difficile were typed by  (a) the Anaerobe Reference Laboratory and  (b) other typing laboratories used by her Department (i) in total and (ii) on average per week in each year since 2003-04.

Andy Burnham: The Anaerobe Reference Laboratory (ARL) is the sole provider of a national service for typing of clostridium difficile.
	Laboratories are invited to refer isolates of clostridium difficile for investigation of outbreaks and for cases of particular concern. The ARL began the national random sampling scheme in January 2005.
	The numbers of isolates referred to the ARL for the years 2003, 2004, 2005 and the first six months of 2006 are in the following table
	
		
			   Annual total 
			 2003 549 
			 2004 486 
			 2005 1,405 
			 2006(1) 1,285 
			 (1) January to June only   Notes:  In 2003 and 2004, ARL typed an average of about 10 isolates each week. Since January 2005, ARL has typed an average of about 40 isolates each week. 
		
	
	The ARL has no access to data from other laboratories and regional laboratories do not offer a national service.

Clostridium Difficile

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of clostridium difficile 027 were reported to her Department in each hospital trust during  (a) 2003-04,  (b) 2004-05 and  (c) 2005-06; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: The data requested are not available.
	However, the random sampling scheme was introduced on 1 January 2005. Typing is carried out by the Anaerobe Reference Laboratory (ARL) on a random sample of strains submitted by acute trusts. The aims of the scheme are to monitor the prevalence of different strains and their susceptibility to specific antibiotics. In the first year, 2005, of random sampling, typing results were obtained for 881 samples. A total of 25 ribotypes were detected, but over 77 per cent. of samples were one of three types (106, 027, 001). Type 027 was the second most common type, accounting for over 25 per cent. of samples.
	The epidemiological and clinical significance of these findings remains unclear. There is no evidence as yet of a predictable relationship between type 027 and severity of disease. There are no comparable data for earlier years based on random sampling.
	The only other data come from samples that were referred to the Laboratory in the years 1995 to 2003 for investigation when a trust had concerns about an individual case or a possible outbreak. This is a biased sample in which cases occurring as clusters or outbreaks were over represented and sporadic cases were under represented. Over 55 per cent, of samples were type 001, and no other type accounted for 10 per cent or more cases. Type 027 was not among the 10 most common types.

Community Hospital (Malvern)

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the future funding of the proposed new community hospital in Malvern.

Andy Burnham: The future funding of the proposed new community hospital in Malvern is a local matter to be considered by NHS West Midlands. I understand that Worcestershire primary care trust (PCT) has been informed that the capital bid made by its predecessor, South Worcestershire PCT, will be reconsidered in the second tranche of the strategic health authorities funding release in December 2006.

Correspondence

Michael Spicer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she will reply to the letter of 29 June from the hon. Member for West Worcestershire about depression.

Rosie Winterton: I replied to the hon. Member's letter on 25 July 2006.

Dentistry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the referral rate from general dental practitioners to community dentists since 1 April.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not held centrally.

Dentistry

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of unemployment among dentists qualifying as vocational dental practitioners wishing to become general dental practitioners.

Ivan Lewis: We are not aware of a significant number of unemployed dentists. If newly qualified dentists are prepared to look outside London and the main conurbations, they should be able to find practices with national health service contracts that have funded vacancies.

Dentistry

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 July 2006,  Official Report, column 660W, on dentistry, what her timetable is for the  (a) assessment and  (b) publication of the impact of the new contractual arrangements for dental services; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: Assessment of the impact of the new contractual arrangements is an ongoing process. We expect to see meaningful data beginning to become available in the autumn though it will take longer to measure several of the outcomes. We intend to publish a report following the first 12 months of the new arrangements.
	Statistical information on dental activity will be published each quarter by the information centre starting in October 2006.
	An implementation group, made up of professional and patient representatives, has also been established to review the impact of the reforms and identify any issues that need to be addressed.

Dentistry

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether his Department has met the Dental Practitioners Association since the introduction of the new NHS dental contract on 1 April; and whether any such meetings are planned.

Rosie Winterton: The Chief Dental Officer met with the Dental Practitioners Association on 3 May 2006. No further meetings are currently planned.

Dentistry

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her most recent estimate is of the number of  (a) adults and  (b) children registered with an NHS dentist.

Rosie Winterton: The most recent registration data relate to the 15 months ending 31 March 2006. This can be found at http://www.ic.nhs.uk/pubs/dwfactivity.
	Under the new system, the concept of registration no longer forms part of the remuneration arrangements. The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's guidelines recommend recall intervals of up to 24 months based on individual oral health. The old registration system required dentists, to maintain their registration income, to recall all registered patients at least once every 15 months regardless of their oral health. The new system removes this strait jacket and allows dentists to recall patients at intervals based on their individual oral health needs.
	The Department will still be monitoring the number of patients covered by national health service primary dental services. As set out in the answer to my reply to the hon. Member for Bromsgrove (Miss Kirkbride) on 5 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1218W, information will be available in due course via the NHS Business Services Authority on the numbers of patients who receive care or treatment from NHS primary care dentists on one or more occasions within a given period. This will provide a measure that is broadly similar to that of patient registration under the former system of general dental services. We expect the first information to be available later in the year.

Departmental Childcare Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are waiting lists for places at childcare facilities which her Department provides for its employees.

Ivan Lewis: The Department operates a play scheme in the London and Leeds Office. There are 24 places, allocated on a ballot system. This ensures all places are allocated fairly. In recent holiday periods, the play scheme has not been oversubscribed. There is a short waiting list for nursery places in Quarry House Leeds. This contract is operated by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Departmental Childcare Facilities

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what childcare  (a) provision and  (b) assistance is available to her Department's staff.

Ivan Lewis: The Department offers a range of childcare provision including subsidised playscheme places in both London and Leeds. In addition, staff have access to a nursery for pre-school children in Leeds. We also work with other Government Departments to ensure access is given to staff to fill any surplus playscheme places during holiday periods.
	In addition, the Department offers staff the opportunity of claiming childcare vouchers as part of a salary sacrifice scheme. The vouchers can be used to pay for a range of approved/registered childcare provision for children up to 16 years.
	Finally, the Department offers staff three days paid carers leave per year in addition to special leave to fulfil their caring responsibilities when arrangements break down.

Departmental Staff (Bicycles)

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles her Department makes available to its employees; how many and what percentage of her Department's staff purchased bicycles through such schemes in 2005-06; whether the schemes are available through a range of suppliers; and whether arrangements are made to enable staff with disabilities to purchase adapted bicycles from a specialist supplier.

Ivan Lewis: The Department does not currently offer any tax efficient schemes for the purchase of bicycles to employees.
	We will monitor the uptake of the cycle to work scheme in other Government Departments through our bicycle user group.
	The Department does offer interest free loans of up to 500 to all staff. Cycle parking and shower facilities are available at each of the Department's main offices as incentives to encourage people to cycle to work.
	There are no specific arrangements in place for staff with disabilities at present.

Diabetes

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps she is taking to raise awareness of diabetes among at-risk communities.

Rosie Winterton: The White Paper, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say sets out a new direction for health and social care services and we are reorganising health and social care services to focus together on prevention and health promotion. For 2008, primary care trust local delivery plans will have to include a clear strategy for the development of preventative services, including tackling health inequalities across socioeconomic and ethnic minority groups requiring targeted, innovative and culturally sensitive responses.
	The White Paper also includes details of the self-assessment, Life Check which everyone will have at key points in life. This will support individuals and communities at high risk of developing diabetes to get involved in more healthy lifestyles and environments. If the results show that a person is at risk of poor health, they will be able to talk to a health trainer about the help available from local services, specialist services, referral for further medical advice and develop a personal health plan.

Diabetes

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what steps are being taken to educate children and parents on diabetes prevention.

Rosie Winterton: Funding is made available to national health service services to implement services locally, and as a result awareness campaigns are more likely to be developed locally in primary care trusts (PCT) and hospitals rather than centrally.
	Obesity is one of the major causes of type 2 diabetes. Reducing obesity is one of our key priorities and we are helping children and their parents to make a step change in their lifestyles and attitude to food and fitness through a raft of cross-Government public health measures. We are developing a new national healthy living social marketing programme which will focus on families and children under age 11 aimed at improving the healthiness of people's lifestyles in the areas of diet and physical activity. This will be launched early in 2007. These measures will help to support the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's definitive guidance on the prevention and management of obesity which is due to be published in November 2006.
	Our, Our Health, Our Care, Our Say White Paper also sets out a new direction for health and social care services and we are reorganising health and social care services to focus together on prevention and health promotion. For 2008, PCT local delivery plans will have to include a clear strategy for the development of preventative services.

Drug Refusals

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which primary care trusts have refused to provide drugs that have been passed by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence in the last 12 months.

Andy Burnham: This information is not available centrally.
	There is a statutory obligation on the national health service to provide funding for National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) technology appraisals within three months of the date of publication of NICE'S guidance.

Family Planning Clinics

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many family planning clinics have been operating in each of the last 10 years, broken down by trust.

Caroline Flint: This information is not held centrally.

Flu Vaccine

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether there are sufficient stocks of influenza vaccine for winter 2006-07.

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on the availability of influenza vaccines in autumn 2006.

Caroline Flint: The United Kingdom Vaccine Industry Group has confirmed that the volume of flu vaccine available for 2006-07 will total more than 15 million doses, which we estimate to be sufficient for the UK's needs.

Foreign Nurses

Steve Webb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether foreign nurses already working in the UK who wish to change jobs within the NHS are eligible to be considered for employment on the same terms as British nurses; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The removal of agenda for change band 5 and band 6 nurses from the shortage occupation list will have no impact on work permit holding nurses already working in the United Kingdom who are seeking extensions to their existing work permits or who wish to move employers to take up employment at the same grade. The resident labour test is not applied under these circumstances.
	If an overseas nurse is seeking a promotion, or is moving to a post with a significantly different job description/terms of conditions, then a resident labour test will have to be applied before a further work permit is considered.

GMOs

Peter Ainsworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  how she plans to enforce the law prohibiting the sale of  (a) unauthorised genetically modified organisms and  (b) LL601 rice for human consumption;
	(2)  what analysis the Food Standards Agency has undertaken to ascertain the safety of LL601 rice for human consumption.

Caroline Flint: EC Regulation 1829/2003 (The Genetically Modified Food and Feed Regulation) prohibits the placing on the market of unauthorised genetically modified (GM) food. This includes LL601 rice. This regulation is implemented in England by The Genetically Modified Food (England) Regulations 2004 (Statutory Instrument 2004/2335) and The Genetically Modified Feed (England) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/2334).
	Enforcement of this regulation falls to local authorities in the same way that they are responsible for enforcement of other areas of food law. Local authorities have been advised of the contamination of American long grain rice by the Food Standards Agency.
	The Food Standards Agency was notified about the GM contamination on 21 August by the United States Department of Agriculture. In the absence of an opinion from the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the Agency consulted two members of the independent Advisory Committee on Novel Foods and Processes on the safety of LL601 rice for human consumption. The members of the committee considered a dossier of data provided by Bayer Cropscience and advised that the contamination of LL601 rice at the levels present was not a health concern.
	The EFSA undertook a more detailed risk assessment and concluded that the consumption of imported long grain rice containing trace levels of LL601 rice is not likely to pose an imminent safety concern to humans or animals. The Food Standards Agency has accepted the EFSA opinion which was published on 15 September.

Gynaecologists

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior positions for gynaecologists have been advertised and filled since January 2005 in NHS hospitals; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Health Appointments

Andrew Turner: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the dates of  (a) inauguration and  (b) appointment were of the (i) chairman, (ii) chief executive and (iii) non-executive directors of each of the new (A) strategic health authorities and (B) primary care trusts in England.

Rosie Winterton: The strategic health authorities (SHAs) were established on 1 July 2006. The chairs and chief executives of all the SHAs were appointed from the same date. All the non-executive directors of eight of the SHAs were also appointed from the same date. All non-executives in the Yorkshire and Humber SHA were appointed from 1 October 2006. In South West SHA all but two were appointed from 1 July 2006. Of the remaining two, one was appointed from 1 September and the other from 1 October.
	The new primary care trusts were established on 1 October 2006. All chair, chief executive and non-executive director appointments made have been from the same date.

Health Industry Meetings

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on what occasions the Commercial Director of the Department of Health has met representatives of  (a) health insurers and  (b) major private sector healthcare providers in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The director general of the Department's commercial directorate regularly meets representatives from private healthcare providers as part of his role to secure best value from those providers for the Department and the national health service. To provide information on each meeting and those with health insurers in the last three years would incur disproportionate costs.

Health Industry Meetings

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many occasions the Commercial Director of the Department of Health met representatives of United Health Europe in each of the last three years.

Ivan Lewis: The director general of the Department's commercial directorate has not had meetings with representatives of United Health Europe (UHE). However there will have been occasions, such as at the NHS Confederation conference, where UHE and the director general shared a speaking platform.

HIV

Andrew Slaughter: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many cases of HIV were diagnosed in London in 2005.

Caroline Flint: 3,132 individuals were diagnosed with HIV in London in 2005.
	 Notes:
	1. Data, which are provided by the Health Protection Agency www.hpa.org.uk, include HIV diagnoses reported by the quarter ending 30 June 2006.
	2. This figure may include some records of the same individuals that are unmatchable because of differences in information supplied.
	3. Numbers may increase as reports of further diagnoses are received.

Hospital Closures

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what procedures are followed when it is proposed that a hospital should be closed.

Andy Burnham: Section 11 of the National Health Service and Social Care Act 2001 sets out the duty on the NHS to engage with the public and section 7 sets out the duty to consult publicly through the overview and scrutiny committee when the proposed change is substantial.
	New guidance on public engagement and consultation is being prepared for publication in the autumn.

Infant Mortality

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the infant mortality rate has been in each year since 1997, broken down by socio-economic group.

John Healey: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 9 October 2006:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the infant mortality rate has been in each year since 1997, broken down by socio-economic group. I am replying in her absence. (92031)
	Socio-economic group is not measured in exactly the same way in the statistics for 1997 to 2004. Until 2000 infant mortality rates were published by Social Class based on father's occupation. In 2001 Social Class was replaced by the National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC), and infant mortality figures have been published by NS-SEC. It is not possible to use NS-SEC for data prior to 2001 because there is not a one-to-one equivalence with the pre-2001 classification; an approximation is used, referred to as NS-SEC90 because it is based on the 1990 occupational classification. NS-SEC90 was used specifically to aid interpretation of trends over time in infant mortality.
	The table below shows infant mortality rates in England and Wales by NS-SEC90 from 1997 to 2001 and by NS-SEC from 2001 to 2004 (the latest year for which figures available).
	There is an overall downward trend in all groups. In 2001, special work was undertaken to code data to both NS-SEC90 and NS-SEC. Whilst the rates for 'managerial and professional' and 'routine and manual' occupations are the same, for both classifications, there is a difference of 0.2 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in the 'intermediate' occupations. This suggests that a slight downward adjustment is needed. Further details are available in: Rowan S. Implications of changes in the UK social and occupational classifications in 2001 on infant mortality statistics. Health Statistics Quarterly 17, 2003, 33-40. http://www.statistics.gov.uk/downloads/theme_health/HSQ17.pdf
	
		
			  Infant mortality rates( 1)  by National Statistics Socio-economic Classification (NS-SEC)( 2) , England and Wales, 1997-2004 
			  NS-SEC  NS-SEC90 
			  (3-class version)  1997  1998  1999  2000  2001 
			 Managerial and professional occupations 4.3 4.1 3.9 3.7 3.7 
			 Intermediate occupations 5.5 5.4 5.0 5.0 5.0 
			 Routine and manual occupations 6.4 5.9 6.5 6.1 6.0 
			 All(3) 5.7 5.4 5.5 5.3 5.1 
		
	
	
		
			  NS-SEC  NS-SEC 
			  (3-class version)  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Managerial and professional occupations 3.7 3.4 3.5 3.3 
			 Intermediate occupations 4.8 5.1 4.4 4.6 
			 Routine and manual occupations 6.0 5.8 6.1 5.7 
			 All(3) 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.8 
			 (1) Deaths under 1 year of age per 1,000 live births  (2) NS-SEC is used for 2001 onwards: NS-SEC90 is used for years 1997-2001  (3) Infants born inside marriage or outside marriage jointly registered by both parents   Source:  ONS

Liver Disease

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many  (a) admissions to hospitals to treat alcoholic liver disease and  (b) liver disease deaths there were in each year since 1996.

Caroline Flint: The following tables give detail admissions to hospitals to treat liver disease and liver disease deaths.
	
		
			  Counts of finished admission episodes where there was a primary diagnosis code for alcoholic liver disease (ICD-10 = K70) national health service hospitals, England 1996-97 to 2004-05 
			   Finished admission episodes 
			 1996-97 8,073 
			 1997-98 9,148 
			 1998-99 9,412 
			 1999-2000 10,326 
			 2000-01 10,761 
			 2001-02 11,119 
			 2002-03 11,810 
			 2003-04 12,336 
			 2004-05 13,201 
			  Source: Hospital Episode Statistics, The Information Centre for Health and Social Care 
		
	
	
		
			  Number of deaths from liver disease, England and Wales, 1996-2004( 2) 
			   Number of deaths from liver disease 
			   All liver disease( 1) ( 2) Of which: alcohol-related 
			 1996 4,194 3,613 
			 1997 4,515 3,951 
			 1998 4,922 4,306 
			 1999 5,111 4,542 
			 2000 5,182 4,627 
			 2001(3) 6,106 5,061 
			 2002(3) 6,353 5,200 
			 2003(3) 6,786 5,700 
			 2004(3) 6,751 5,667 
			 (1) Selected using the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 570-573 from 1996 to 2000, and using the Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes K70-K77 from 2001 onwards. (2) Selected using the International Classification of Diseases Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes 571.0-571.5 and 571.7-571.9 from 1996 to 2000, and using the Tenth Revision (ICD-10) codes K70, K73, K74. 0-K74.2 and K74.6-K74.9 from 2001 onwards. (3) The introduction of ICD-10 for coding cause of death in 2001 means that figures are not completely comparable with data for years before this.

Local Area Agreements

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which local authorities which piloted local area agreements in 2005-06; and what conclusions were drawn from the evaluation of health implications for local area agreements completed in January.

Caroline Flint: 21 local authorities (LAs) piloted local area agreements (LAAs) in 2005-06. These were:
	 Government Office London
	Greenwich
	Hammersmith and Fulham
	 Government Office South West
	Dorset (Dorset county council, Christchurch borough council, East Dorset district council, North Dorset district council, Purbeck district council, West Dorset district council, Weymouth and Portland borough council)
	Devon (Devon county council, East Devon district council, Exeter city council, Mid Devon district council, North Devon district council, South Hams district council, Teignbridge district council, Torridge district council, West Devon borough council)
	 Government Office South East
	Kent (Kent county council, Ashford borough council, Canterbury city council, Dartford borough council, Dover district council, Gravesham borough council, Maidstone borough council, Sevenoaks district council, Shepway district council, Swale borough council, Thanet district council, Tonbridge and Mailing borough council, Tunbridge Wells borough council)
	Brighton and Hove
	 Government Office East of England
	Suffolk (Suffolk county council, Babergh district council, Forest Heath district council, Ipswich borough council, Mid Suffolk district council, St. Edmundsbury borough council, Suffolk Coastal district council, Waveney district council)
	Peterborough
	 Government Office East Midlands
	Derby
	Derbyshire (Derbyshire county council, Amber Valley borough council, Erewash borough council, The District of Bolsover, Chesterfield borough council, North East Derbyshire district council, High Peak borough council, Derbyshire Dales district council, South Derbyshire district council)
	 Government Office West Midlands
	Telford and Wrekin (single pot pilot)
	Coventry
	Wolverhampton
	 Government Office North West
	Wigan
	Knowsley
	 Government Office North East
	Stockton-on-Tees
	Gateshead
	 Government Office Yorkshire and the Number
	Barnsley
	Sheffield
	Doncaster
	Bradford
	The pilot areas were chosen to reflect a wide range of authority typesthere are rural and urban areas, areas facing different challenges and with a range of different funding, unitary and two-tier. Ten of these areas are in the spearhead group.
	We evaluated the health implications of the 21 pilot LAAs, and concluded that all focussed on priority health outcomes such as reducing smoking prevalence, reducing obesity among children and reducing health inequalities.
	LAAs have great potential to deliver improvements in health and social care outcomes, as set out in the Our Health, Our Care, Our Say White Paper. Both health and social care outcomes are well represented within LAAs.
	The recent first annual reviews of the pilot LAAs showed strong performance across a number of health and social care priorities.
	LAAs have proved an important catalyst for improved partnership working. Many of the pilot areas reported a step change in effective partnership and cross-agency planning and working, particularly between the primary care trust and LA in the way services are commissionedthis has contributed to strong performance in areas such as older people. LAAs have also encouraged creativity and innovation by focussing on outcomes, increasing capacity through partnership and joint accountability.

Medical Staff Suspension Payments

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost of suspension payments for medical staff was in each year since 1999.

Rosie Winterton: Data on the cost of exclusions across the United Kingdom are not collected centrally. The National Audit Office in their report The Management of Suspensions of Clinical Staff in NHS Hospital and Ambulance Trusts in England estimated that the average cost of excluding a doctor in England was 188, 000.
	In 2003, we issued guidance, Maintaining High Professional Standards in the Modern NHS: a framework for dealing with the initial concerns about a doctor or dentist, which together with the work of the National Clinical Advisory Service (NCAS) is reducing the number of suspensions in England. In the five years since its inception in April 2001, NCAS has helped NHS organisations deal with more than 2,000 cases of performance concerns.

Mental Health

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was allocated to the National Institute for Mental Health (England) in 2005-06; how much was allocated to  (a) its regional centres and  (b) national operations; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: In 2005-06 the National Institute for Mental Health in England (NIMHE) received a budget allocation of 23.553 million.
	The eight regional development centres of NIMHE were allocated a total of 21.447 million. This allocation was used to fund both local workstreams and national programmes being delivered at a local level.
	The NIMHE central function was allocated a total of 2.107 million.

Mental Health

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many incidents of  (a) rape,  (b) sexual assaults and  (c) sexual harassment there were against female patients in mental health units in the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: Information is not available in the requested format. The National Patient Safety Agency published its first analysis of mental health patient safety incidents on 18 July 2006. With safety in mind; patient safety in mental health services shows 122 reports of incidents relating to sexual safety between November 2003 and September 2005. A copy of this report has been placed in the Library. The National Director for Mental Health is currently undertaking a review of the most serious reports concerning sexual safety which will help to inform ongoing national policy work in this area.

Mesothelioma

Natascha Engel: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what information she has received on the results of the recent clinical MESO-1 drug trials for the treatment of mesothelioma.

Malcolm Wicks: I have been asked to reply.
	In 2000, the Medical Research Council (MRC) funded the MESO-1 feasibility study of Active Symptom Control with or without chemotherapy in patients with mesothelioma. The aim of this trial, co-ordinated by the MRC Clinical Trials Unit, was to compare the following three types of treatment for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma: ASC (Active Symptom Control); ASC and chemotherapy with mitomycin, vinblastine and cisplatin (MVP); ASC and chemotherapy with single agent vinorelbine.
	Between September 2000 and September 2001, 242 patients were registered for the MESO-1 trial. The MRC is now undertaking a multi-centre phase III trial (MS01) of the three types of treatment. The primary outcome measure of this trial is overall survival. Toxicity, symptom palliation, quality of life, performance status, analgesic usage, tumour response and progression-free survival are also being assessed. MS01 closed to new patients on 31 July 2006. Currently 405 patients are participating in the trial, which makes it the second largest ever randomised trial in mesothelioma. Preliminary results may be available early next year.

National Cancer Peer Review Programme

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the cost has been of the peer review team inspections of cancer services in the South East of England carried out by the National Cancer Peer Review Programme since November 2004;
	(2)  what the  (a) date and  (b) location was of each visit carried out by the National Cancer Peer Review Programme in the South East of England since November 2004;
	(3)  which personnel are involved in the southern zone National Cancer Peer Review teams.

Rosie Winterton: For peer review purposes the country is divided into six zones: North; North West; West (South); East; London; and South.
	South East England is part of the South zone. There are three cancer networks in the South East of that zone: Kent and Medway; Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire; and Sussex. To date, two of these cancer networks have been visited: Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire and Sussex. The actual costs for these visits was 29,033 and 45,193 respectively.
	The Surrey, West Sussex and Hampshire visits took place between 6 and 24 June 2005. Locations visited were Royal Surrey County Hospital NHS Trust, Frimley Park Hospital NHS Trust, Ashford and St. Peter's Hospitals NHS Trust and Surrey and Sussex Healthcare Trust.
	The Sussex visits took place between 21 January and 8 March 2005. Locations visited were Brighton and Sussex University Healthcare NHS Trust, East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust and Worthing and Southlands Hospitals NHS Trust.
	As the process is one of peer review, the visits are carried out by specialist teams of professional peers and user/carer reviewers. Wherever possible the professional peers will be those trained and working in the same discipline that they are reviewing. This means, for example, that a breast surgeon will be part of the review team visiting breast cancer services and so on for the different tumour types and that a clinical nurse specialist will be part of the team reviewing other clinical nurse specialists etc. In addition, the visits are managed by a co-ordinating team.

Neonatal Intensive Care

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her most recent estimate is of the ratio of nurses to babies in level three neonatal intensive care units.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not collected centrally.

NHS Chaplains

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many NHS chaplains  (a) retired and  (b) were made redundant in (i) 2004-05 and (ii) 2005-06.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect data on NHS hospital chaplaincy.
	Budgetary control has been devolved to the local national health service (NHS) to allow people at the front-line to make the decisions about how best to use the resources available locally. NHS trusts are responsible for delivering religious and spiritual care in a way that meets the diverse needs of their patients. Issues around staffing chaplaincy services in hospital are a matter for local determination. However, we expect trusts to adhere to guidance NHS Chaplaincy: Meeting the Religious and Spiritual Needs of Patients and Staff, which includes a formula for the adequate provision of chaplaincy care.

NHS Estate Safety

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what percentage of the NHS Estate in England was not  (a) fire safety and  (b) health and safety compliant in (i) March 2005 and (ii) March 2006; and what the estimated cost of the works required to achieve such compliance was at each date in each case;
	(2)  what the cost of the total general repair backlog on the NHS Estate in England was in March  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006.

Rosie Winterton: Information on the percentage of the total patient occupied floor area in the national health service estate in England that is not fire or health and safety compliant has not been collected centrally since 2003-04 when the figures were 7.1 per cent. and 8.8 per cent. respectively. Trusts remain responsible for compliance with fire and health and safety laws and regulations.
	Data provided by the NHS on the cost of work needed to bring the estate up to fire and health and safety standard is no longer identified separately. The total amount of backlog maintenance is now categorised according to its risk level, as indicated in the following table.
	
		
			   2004-05  2005-06 
			  Risk level/definition  Backlog maintenance  ( million)  Percentage  Backlog maintenance  ( million  Percentage 
			 High riskUrgent priority work needed to prevent catastrophic failure, major disruption to clinical services or deficiencies resulting in serious injury or prosecution 358.2 11.4 329.9 9.0 
			 Significant riskRequires short-term expenditure but can be effectively managed to avoid risk to healthcare services or concern to enforcement bodies 778.2 24.8 982.2 26.6 
			 Moderate riskRequires close control and monitoring but can be managed in the medium term 902.1 28.7 1,219.4 33.1 
			 Low riskCan be addressed through agreed maintenance programmes or through strategic plans 1,103.2 35.1 1,152.1 31.3 
			 Total 3,141.7 100 3,683.6 100 
			  Notes:  Investment to reduce backlog maintenance will be prioritised locally based on risk assessment, reconfiguration planning and available resources. The data provided have not been amended centrally and the accuracy and completeness of this data is the responsibility of the provider organisation.

Non-UK Patients

Stewart Jackson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many patients were treated in  (a) the Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust area and  (b) the Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire Strategic Health Authority area, who were not UK citizens in 2005-06; what the cost of their treatment was; how much remains outstanding in respect of monies owed to the NHS by such people; and if she will make a statement.

Rosie Winterton: The information requested is not held centrally.

Nurses

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the percentage of nurses who qualified in summer 2006 and have yet to find jobs.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Organ Donation

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action she is taking to improve public awareness about organ donation.

Rosie Winterton: Currently, over 13 million people have registered on the organ donor register (ODR), 22 per cent. of the United Kingdom population. The Department gives around 1 million yearly to NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) to run the ODR and to promote transplantation. It also provides section 64 grants to a number of charities to promote organ donation in particular communities. Further funding through NHSBT supports hospital based initiatives to optimise organ donation and increase transplant rates.
	In April 2006, NHSBT published the results of their potential donor audit. It suggested that there may be greater opportunities to identify potential donors in intensive care units; and highlighted the high number of relativessome 40 per cent.who refuse donation. We have asked officials to bring together a small group of key people to take stock of progress against Saving Lives Valuing Donors: A Transplant Framework for England published in 2003; to identify current barriers to organ donation; to look at national and international experience; and to identify opportunities to increase donation rates within the current legal and regulatory framework.

Osteoporosis

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what measures she will take in response to Item 12 of the conclusions of the EU Council of Ministers on 1 to 2 June 2006 on women's health, with particular reference to osteoporosis.

Rosie Winterton: The conclusions of the European Union Council of Ministers recognise that diseases can affect men and women differently. The Department is currently taking forward a number of initiatives addressing particular aspects of women's health, including gender specific screening programmes.
	The Government are increasing capacity in osteoporosis services in dual X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scanning for bone density as a guide to treatment. In 2005-06, 3 million has been allocated from a centrally held revenue budget for purchasing of additional scans. Capital provision of 17 million has been made in 2006-07 and 2007-08 to improve national health service capacity through investment in new DXA scanning equipment.

Oxygen Supply Service

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what 
	(1)  assessment she has made of the oxygen supply service provided by  (a) Air Products and  (b) Chemicals Inc;
	(2)  what estimate she has made of the number of incomplete oxygen deliveries made since the change in the oxygen supply domiciliary contract;
	(3)  what back up supply mechanisms are in place for domiciliary oxygen delivery after 31 July 2006.

Andy Burnham: Air products has increased, significantly, the number of cylinders in its service regions to improve cylinder availability and service delivery to patients. In addition, there is agreement with Air Products and BOC to transfer supply of the home oxygen service in the south-west region to BOC from 1 October 2006 to allow Air Products to focus further resources on service delivery in its other regions. We support these arrangements, which are in the best interests of patients. We are continuing to work with Air Products to improve further the delivery of this service to the required standards set out in the contract and performance indicators for service performance, including numbers of complaints received, are much improved
	Since introduction of the new service arrangement on 1 February 2006, we have monitored progress in reducing the number of incomplete oxygen deliveries. There are a number of different factors associated with failure to deliver within required delivery times. For example, these include the need to give priority to delivery of orders for urgent supply, errors or incomplete information relating to a patient's address, patients away from home and unable to take delivery of equipment and changes in arrangements supporting a patient's discharge from hospital. The interplay of these different factors results in wide variations in data relating to the number of incomplete oxygen deliveries across service regions. However, overall, the trend continues to be one of improvement. Action is continuing to address the issues influencing the number of failed deliveries, including improving effective communications between suppliers, patients and healthcare professionals.
	The formal second stage transition period supporting changes to the new service ended on 31 July 2006. We have reminded all suppliers of their contractual responsibilities for the delivery of the home oxygen service from 1 August 2006. We have yet to achieve the transfer of all patients to new suppliers in all regions. There are now relatively few patients awaiting transfer to new suppliers and these include those who have yet to come forward to seek further oxygen supplies. The national health service is working with suppliers and community pharmacies, who are continuing to supply some patients as part of transitional arrangements, to achieve the safe transfer of all patients to the new suppliers as soon as possible. Until patient transfer is complete, we will continue to keep open the route in which general practitioners may order oxygen supplies for a patient via a prescription dispensed by a community pharmacist providing a cylinder service.

PCT Resources

Andrew George: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 23 August 2006 to Question 13422, what the allocation of resources to each primary care trust is, based on present boundaries; what the target share of resources for each primary care trust is; what the per capita allocation is; and what the equivalent figures were in 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: Detailed information about primary care trust (PCT) allocations is provided in the PCT revenue resource limits exposition book, which is produced for each allocations round.
	Allocations and weighted capitation targets for 2005-06 are in section 4, tables 4.1 and 4.2 respectively of the 2003-04 to 2005-06 exposition book. Allocations and weighted capitation targets for 2006-07 are in section 3, tables 3.1 and 3.2 respectively of the 2006-07 and 2007-08 exposition book.
	Exposition books are available in the Library and at www.dh.gov.uk/allocations.
	Allocations per head of population in 2005-06 and 2006-07 for PCTs prior to reconfiguration on 1 October 2006 are shown in the table.

Physiotherapists

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many full-time paid posts were available for newly qualified physiotherapists in the NHS in each of the last five years.

Rosie Winterton: This information is not collected centrally.

Physiotherapists

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many students graduated in physiotherapy in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: This information is not collected centrally.

Prescription Charges

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what percentage of prescriptions in  (a) accident and emergency wards and  (b) day surgery were charged for by NHS trusts in 2005-06; whether ministerial guidance has been issued on the subject; and if she will make a statement.

Andy Burnham: This information is not held centrally. General guidance is included in leaflet HC11 Help with Health Costs which is available to patients and trusts.

Priory Clinics

Michael Ancram: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much has been spent by the NHS referring patients to and paying for their treatment in the Priory group of clinics in each of the last five years.

Ivan Lewis: The expenditure is not separately identified from the annual financial returns of national health service trusts, primary care trusts and health authorities.

Reproductive Health

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether from international sources available to her, she has any information about how the United States differs from the United Kingdom in the funding of  (a) abortion,  (b) family planning and  (c) reproductive health-related issues; and if she will make a statement.

Gareth Thomas: I have been asked to reply.
	We enjoy an ongoing and strong dialogue with the US administration at all levels on ensuring an effective response to sexual and reproductive health issues. We have different views on the best approach in certain key areas, but we also share a common perspective on priorities in other fundamental areas.
	Our common ground includes the importance of providing adequate resources for an effective response, (the US is the largest bilateral donor on HIV and AIDS, the UK is the second largest) and on the importance of co-ordinated support to national strategies. The UK and the US both see condoms as a critical public health tool and are the two largest bilateral donors of condoms.
	We differ on access to safe abortion services. The UK believes that access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information, services and supplies should be based on the principles of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). That is the principle of informed choice, voluntarism and consent, not coercion. The US did agree to ICPD in 1994 and continues to be one of the largest donors for sexual and reproductive health supplies and services. However the US does not fund organisations promoting or providing safe abortion services due to their Mexico City policy (the global gag rule).
	We believe that the global gag rule is undermining efforts to stop unsafe abortion and is damaging reproductive health and family planning services. It effectively decreases women's and girls' access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health servicesincluding HIV prevention services such as voluntary counselling and testing for HIVin developing countries. We believe that this will lead to more women and girls resorting to unsafe abortion and risk death or injury as a result. Currently one in eight pregnancy-related deaths, an estimated 13 per cent., are due to an unsafe abortion. 80,000 women currently die of unsafe abortion. In Zambia, for example, the global gag rule has caused the sole organisation providing family planning services in Zambia to cut its services by 40 per cent. This has left women unable to continue to have access to contraception causing unwanted pregnancies and more unsafe sex.
	Our views also differ about the importance of a comprehensive approach to HIV prevention on sexual and reproductive health issues. We support the provision of evidence-based sexual and reproductive health information, services and supplies. This includes promoting condom use among the most vulnerable who are exposed to sexual health risks (this ranges from married women to commercial sex workers). This is not only to enable them to protect themselves and others from sexually transmitted infections, but ultimately to reduce unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion, promote behaviour change and improve overall reproductive health.
	Where we do not share a common approach, we work with the US to openly discuss this and hope that their huge contribution is utilised for best ends alongside our own.

Sativex

Oliver Letwin: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost to the NHS of buying the drug Sativex in 2005-06.

Andy Burnham: Adequate information is not held centrally to answer this question.

School Fruit and Vegetables

Andrew Lansley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the school fruit and vegetable scheme.

Caroline Flint: The national foundation for educational research, in partnership with Leeds university, was commissioned by the big lottery fund to carry out an evaluation of the school fruit and vegetable scheme. Results published in September 2005 demonstrated that children ate significantly more fruit while participating in the scheme. The results showed that increased consumption of fruit and vegetables was not sustained when children's participation in the scheme came to an end. However, there was some evidence of increased knowledge of healthy eating, particularly in children from deprived areas.
	A follow up to this evaluation is planned to commence later this year with results available in mid 2007. Work is also in hand to integrate the scheme more closely with other healthy eating initiatives in schools, to provide opportunities to maintain the behaviour change achieved by participation in the scheme.

Sexual Health

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much was spent on sexual health services by East Yorkshire primary care trust in each of the last two financial years; and what funding is available in 2006-07 for the provision of sexual health services by the trust.

Caroline Flint: It is for primary care trusts (PCTs) in partnership with strategic health authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services.
	In February 2005, individual PCTs, including those covering the Yorkshire area were notified of their Choosing Health revenue allocation. In 2006-07, 91.5 million has been allocated to PCTs for sexual health modernisation which includes funding for Chlamydia screening, contraception and abortion services and a further 111.5 million will be allocated in 2007-08. In addition, a further 15 million genito-urinary medicine capital was allocated in 2005-06 and a further 25 million in 2006-07.
	Data on spend on sexual health services in each PCT are not collected centrally.

Stammerers

Kate Hoey: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the  (a) coverage and  (b) training in the treatment of stammering of speech and language therapists; and if she will make a statement.

Ivan Lewis: No assessment has been carried out centrally. It is for primary care trusts in partnership with strategic health authorities, local authorities and other local stakeholders to determine how best to use their funds to meet national and local priorities for improving health, tackling health inequalities and modernising services. This process provides the means for addressing local needs within the health community including the provision of speech and language therapy.
	The training curricula for health professionals are the responsibility of the appropriate regulatory bodies. They set standards for the pre-registration training of doctors, nurses and other health care professionals, approve the education institutions that provide the training and determine the curricula.
	Post-registration training needs for national health service staff, including speech and language therapists, are decided against local national health service priorities, through appraisal processes and training needs analyses informed by local delivery plans and the needs of the service.

Stem Cell Research

David Gauke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which organisations have received grants from the Department relating to stem cell research since May 2005.

Andy Burnham: The Department has not directly funded any stem cell research through grants since May 2005. The Government are investing 100 million in stem cell research, funded through research councils and the Office of Science Innovation at the Department for Trade and Industry.

Sudden Death Syndrome

Don Touhig: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what screening programme is in place to identify those who might be at risk from sudden death syndrome.

Rosie Winterton: The UK national screening committee, which advises the Government on all aspects of screening, does not recommend population screening for abnormal heart conditions as current evidence does not support this.
	The Government also have concerns about the possible negative aspects of screening and its potential consequences for young people. Testing for certain heart problems is offered, where appropriate, to close relatives of those who have died suddenly and unexpectedly of a suspected genetic cardiac condition. This is supported by the national service framework chapter for arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death, published on 4 March 2005.

Tattoo Removals

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many tattoo removals were funded by the NHS for each of the last five years, broken down by trust.

Andy Burnham: This information is not collected centrally.

Ultrasound Scans

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what guidelines her Department issues on  (a) the number of ultrasound scans which should take place during pregnancy and  (b) the timings of such scans.

Ivan Lewis: Guidance on the number of ultrasound scans which should be offered during pregnancy and the timings of such scans is contained in the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) clinical guidelines on antenatal care, which were issued in October 2003. The guidelines are available on the NICE website at www.nice.org.uk

Waiting Times

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many in-patient and day cases are on hospital waiting lists per 100,000 of the population.

Andy Burnham: The numbers of patients in England waiting per 100,000 population as at the end of June 2006 are shown in the table.
	
		
			   Number of patients waiting for admission  Patients waiting per 100,000 population 
			 In-patient 284,564 971 
			 Day case 483,920 571 
			 Total 768,484 1,541

Waiting Times

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many out-patients per 100,000 of the population are on hospital waiting lists.

Andy Burnham: As at the end of June 2006, there were 1,166,738 patients in England waiting for a first out-patient appointment following general practitioner referral. This equates to 2,339 people per 100,000 population.

Waiting Times

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what the  (a) median and  (b) average waiting times are for NHS (i) diagnostic tests, (ii) scans, (iii) internal examinations and (iv) hearing tests;
	(2)  how many patients are waiting for diagnostic tests, broken down by the number of weeks they have been waiting.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the written ministerial statement made on 12 July 2006,  Official Report, columns 69-70WS. Data are collected on the number of patients waiting at the end of each month for 15 key diagnostic tests, by weekly time-band. To identify any other long diagnostic waits census of waiting times for other tests has also been introduced which identifies waits over six and 13 weeks. These data are available at www.performance.doh.gov.uk/diagnostics.
	Median waiting times for the 15 key tests are shown in the table. Median waiting times for other tests cannot be calculated from the information collected through the census. Analysis of the data indicates the average expected wait for patients being referred for one of the 15 key tests is around seven weeks.
	
		
			  Monthly diagnostic data collection - 30 April 2006 
			  Diagnostic test  Median waiting time (weeks)  Average expected wait (weeks) 
			 Magnetic resonance imaging 5.4 7 
			 Computed tomography 2.7 3 
			 Non-obstetric ultrasound 4.1 5 
			 Barium enema 2.8 5 
			 DEXA scan 6.3 10 
			 Audiologypure tone audiometry 23.1 17 
			 Cardiologyechocardiography 6.2 7 
			 Cardiologyelectrophysiology 10.4 14 
			 Neurophysiologyperipheral neurophysiology 11.3 14 
			 Respiratory physiologysleep studies 7.9 13 
			 Urodynamicspressures and flows 7.0 12 
			 Colonoscopy 8.7 16 
			 Flexi sigmoidoscopy 6.5 10 
			 Cystoscopy 6.3 10 
			 Gastroscopy 6.3 10

Waiting Times

Alex Salmond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) median and  (b) average waiting times are for genetic tests for women with a family history of breast cancer in each NHS trust area.

Rosie Winterton: The Department does not collect data centrally on waiting times for genetic tests for inherited forms of breast cancer.
	However the Government recognise that some patients have experienced long waits for genetic tests in the past and this will have caused stress and anxiety. This is unacceptable.
	So, to improve access and cut waiting times, the genetics White Paper Our Inheritance, Our Futurerealising the potential of genetics in the NHS, published in June 2003, committed up to 18 million for national health service genetics laboratories in England. This major investment is boosting capacity and supporting modernisation in genetics laboratories, thus helping them meet the rising demand for genetic tests.
	To ensure that this investment resulted in real patient benefit, the White Paper set out new standards for genetic test turn around times, to be achieved by the end of 2006. These are:
	within three days where the result is needed urgently (for example for prenatal diagnosis)within two weeks where the potential genetic mutation is already known (for example because another family member has already been tested)
	within eight weeks for unknown mutations in a large gene.
	This money was allocated during the last two financial years (2004-06), and laboratories are working hard to get their new facilities up to speed to meet these standards. We are monitoring molecular genetics laboratories' progress through the commissioners of genetic services. The laboratories in two of the eight specialised commissioning group areas are already meeting these standards for genetic tests for breast cancer. Five of the rest are on track to achieve them by the end of 2006 and the remaining one by early 2007.

Waiting Times

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the  (a) average and  (b) longest waiting time has been for physiotherapy in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS trust.

Andy Burnham: I refer the hon. Member to the reply I gave to the hon. Member for Carshalton and Wellington (Tom Brake) on 10 July 2006,  Official Report, column 1627W.